In this study, the chemical treatment of the coir fibres was executed through oxidation with aqueous ClO2 followed by grafting with furfuryl alcohol (FA), leading to create a coating around the fibres more compatible with the polymeric matrices. The ClO2 was used to oxidize mainly phenolic syringyl and guaiacyl units of the lignin polymer to create quinones, which were characterized by UV-vis spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. In addition, the surface features of modified fibres were studied using scanning electron microscopy. The extent of FA-grafting was found higher (weight gain 17.7%) for oxidized fibre compared to those for non-oxidized fibre (weight gain 2.2%). The surface modification with FA-grafting reduced the hydrophilicity of the coir fibre, as confirm by the dynamic contact angle and water absorption measurements. The thermal and mechanical properties of untreated, oxidized and FA-grafted coir fibres were evaluated and compared. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.