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The mechanical and chemical properties of fibers, extracted from four Mascarene endemic palm species, were determined in the untreated and mercerized states. Tensile strength of the fibers increased by 26% for the Hurricane fibers and to 92% for Bottle palm. Fibers from the Blue Latan gave the highest strength of 208 MPa. TCI index suggests that increase in strength is due to the transformation of cellulose I to II. FTIR and DSC tests confirm that hemicellulose was not completely removed during mercerization; its complete removal will yield stronger fiber, making the Blue Latan fiber a potential candidate for composites manufacture.