Characterization of Decorticated Agave Americana “Marginata” Fibres of Different Leaf Levels from Lanet and Tigoni, Kenya

Abstract

Agave americana “Marginata” plant has commercial and industrial potential ranging from textiles, paper making and composites for the automotive industry. The purpose of this study therefore aimed at characterizing the physical and mechanical properties of decorticated agave americana “Marginata” fibres from three plant leaf levels from Lanet and Tigoni areas. The two areas have distinctive soil and climatic conditions. Tigoni has a cooler climate, with no dry season or warm summer due to its high altitude while Lanet has a dry sub-humid equatorial climate. The leaves were purposively harvested from each plant ensuring they were sampled from three levels in both locations. The leaves were then subjected to a decortication process to extract the fibres and randomly assigned to experimental tests. The research findings revealed that, the fibre properties were influenced by the position of the leaf on the plant, however the locations of plant growth did not have much influence on the fibre properties.