EFFECT OF

ACID AND
BASE ON
TENSILE
STRENGTH
OF FIBERS
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 INDEX

 Certificate
 Acknowledgement
 Objective
 Introduction
 Materials Required
 Theory
 Procedure
 Observation
 Result
 Precautions
 References

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 CERTIFICATE

This to certify that the project titled as Effect of

acids and bases on tensile strength of fibres has
been successfully done by Master Atharva Parkhe of
class XII Science in the academic session 2019-20.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Teacher’s Signature

Examiner’s Signature

Principals Signature

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

This gives me pleasure to express my gratitude

towards our school principal Mr R. A. Patil for giving
me valuable time and support to do this project. I
would like to extend my gratitude to our chemistry
teacher Mrs R. Y. Selvi for her guidance, support and
encouragement throughout the duration of project. I
would also like to express my gratitude towards our
laboratory attendant Mr Rajendra for providing a
helping hand in my project.
Without their motivation and support, the successful
completion of this project would not have been
possible. I also wish to thank my parents and my
friends for their undivided support and for being my
constant source of inspiration.

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 AIM AND OBJECTIVE

To find the effect of acids and bases on the tensile

strength of fibres (plant fibre, animal fibre, synthetic
fibre).

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 INTRODUCTION

Depending upon the sources of various types of

fibres, they can be classified into the following 3 main
categories.
 Animal fibres-
o Wool and Silk
 Plant fibres-
o Cotton and Jute
 Synthetic fibres-
o Nylon and Rayon
The main property of the fibres is their tensile
strength. So in order to measure its tensile strength,
threads are tied to a hook and to the other end
weights are added slowly until the fibre breaks down.
After soaking the fibres into acid and base the
bonds gets hydrolysed and break down. This may
reduce the tensile strength of the fibres depending
upon their types.

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 MATERIALS REQUIRED

 Hook
 Weights
 Plant fibres
o Jute
 Animal fibres
o wool
 Synthetic fibres
o nylon
 Sodium hydroxide ( NaOH )
 Hydrochloric acid ( HCl )
 Water

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 THEORY

Tensile strength of a string is the resistance of

string against breaking under tension. The tensile
strength of synthetic fibres is greater than natural
fibres. As they are soaked in acid or base their tensile
strength is affected.
In animal fibres, the peptide bonds are easily
hydrolysed by base than in acids, hence they
breakdown more easily when soaked in base.
Plant fibres have various sugar units binded via
ether linkage, which are hydrolysed by acids rather
than base, hence these fibres affected by acids.
Whereas the synthetic fibres mostly remain
unaffected by both acid and base due to their
crystalline structure. Also their regularity in molecular
structures reduces the ability of acid and base to
approach the molecular bonds.

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 PROCEDURE

 Cut equal lengths of cotton, wool and nylon. Three

equal pieces of each kind.
 Test the tensile strength of fibres by tying the fibre
to the hook and adding weights slowly to the other
end of the fibre.
 Determine the tensile strengths of every type of
fibres, and note down the readings.
 Soak every kind of thread into diluted acid and
base solution for 2 to 4 minutes separately.
 Take out the threads and wash and dry it.
 Now again determine the tensile strength of the
soaked threads.
 Note down the observations.

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 OBSERVATIONS

Length of fibre used – 15 cm

Time taken for soaking fibres in acid – 3 min
Time taken for soaking fibres in base – 3 min

SR TYPES TENSILE STRENGTH OF FIBRES

NO OF BEFORE AFTER SOAKING IN
FIBRES SOAKING ACID BASE
1 Cotton 0.2 kg 1.4 kg 0.2 kg
2 Wool 0.7 kg 0.3 kg 1.6 kg
3 Nylon 9.8 kg 6 kg 4.5 kg

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 PRECAUTIONS

 The threads must be of identical diameters.

 The length of the threads should always be same.
 The weights should be added in small amounts
very slowly.
 The chemicals should be handed carefully.
 After soaking the threads, the tensile strength
should be tested after washing them.

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PICTURES

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 RESULT AND CONCLUSION

The order of increasing weights required of the

breaking point of the threads will be the order of their
increasing tensile strengths of the fibres.
1. The tensile strength of the animal fibres
decreases on soaking in base but acid does not
affect much the fibres.
2. The tensile strength of plant fibres decreases on
soaking with acid but remains unaffected on
soaking with base.
3. The synthetic fibres are practically unaffected by
both acid and base.

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