The chemical and instrumental analysis of alkali-treated Borassus fibers is carried out to explore the possibility of their use as reinforcement in green composites. The chemical analysis shows presence of of.-cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. This is further confirmed by FTIR and high-resolution solid-state C-13 NMR spectroscopy. The influence of alkali treatment on morphology and mechanical properties is attempted by SEM and UTM techniques, respectively. The wide-angle X-ray diffraction analysis of the native and treated fibers shows that alkali treatment influences the crystallinity of the fibers. The efficacy of the Borassus fibers (native and treated) as a component of green composites is discussed. (C) 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 114: 603-611, 2009