Studies on Isolation of Cellulose Fibres from Waste Plant Biomass
Instytut Biopolimers and Chemical Fibres ul. M. Sklodowskiej Curie 19/27, 90 570 Lodz, Poland E mail: celuloza@ibwch.lodz.pl Abstract This paper presents the results of cellulose fibre extraction from plant biomass including: rape, hemp and flax straws. The selected materials were treated by thermal/mechanical/ chemical method in order to remove non cellulosic components such as lignin, hemicellulose, and pectin as well as to obtain cellulosic material with suitable structure and properties necessary for the manufacture of nanofibres. It has been shown that the use of multistage chemical treatment using oxygen and peroxide compounds as delignifing agents for hemp and flax straws, allowed the safe removal of lignin and other non cellulosic components without degradation of the cellulose fibres obtained, while maintaining a polymerization degree above 1000 units. It was found out that it is possible to obtain cellulose fibres from hemp and flax straws (type retted flax straw fibre variety, flax straw oil variety) which can be processed into cellulose micro and nanofibres.