Fascinating physical-chemical properties and fiber morphology of selected waste plant leaves as potential pulp and paper making agents

• Published in: Biomass conversion and biorefinery Vol. 11; no. 6; pp. 3061 - 3070
• Main Authors: Adeoye, Moriam Dasola, Lawal, Abdulazeez Tunbosun, Jimoh, Abibat Opeyemi, Adelani, Alabi Kazeem, Ojo, Owolabi Opeyemi, Ndukwe, Nelly Acha, Salaudeen, Taofeek, Adewuyi, Sheriff
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01-12-2021; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Ashes; Biotechnology; Cellulose; Chemical properties; Deforestation; Elephant grass; Energy; Fourier transforms; Functional groups; Infrared analysis; Morphology; Papermaking; Physical properties; Pulping; Renewable and Green Energy; Review Article; Solubility; Wood fibers; Pulp and papers; Hemicellulose; Morphology; Cellulose; Non-wood fiber
• ISSN: 2190-6815; 2190-6823
• DOI: 10.1007/s13399-020-00968-8

The search for non-wood fibers as alternative to the limited wood fiber resources is highly imperative in the pulp and paper-based industries. This is due to growing environmental concern as a result of excessive deforestation. This study aimed at investigating the pulp and paper potentials of pineapple crown (
Ananas comosus
), sandbox (
Hura crepitans
), pino macho (
Pinus caribaea
), elephant grass (
Pennissetum purpureum
) and teak (
Tectona grandis
) leaves. Chemical properties (holocellulose, cellulose, hemicellulose, ash contents, hot water and 1% NaOH solubilities) were determined using the relevant TAPPI test and chlorite methods, while the physical properties were determined after the pulping processes. Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopic (FT-IR) analyses of intrinsic functional groups of the paper sheets produced from the pulps of the waste plant leaves were determined. In addition, scanning electron microscope (SEM-EDX) analyses of the morphological characteristic and elemental compositions of the resulting hand sheet surfaces were also examined.
P. caribaea
has the highest lignin (80.22 ± 0.012%) and cellulose (72.30 ± 0.012%) contents with lowest 1% NaOH solubility (15.20 ± 0.05%) values.
A .comosu
s has the highest hemicellulose (21.73 ± 0.1%) and moisture (75.00 ± 0.12%) contents with lowest ash values (5.01 ± 0.15%). The fibre lengths and the Runkel ratio of the resulting pulps were of the order,
A. comosus
 > 
P. purpureum
 > 
P. caribaea
 > 
H. crepitans
 > 
T. grandis
and
A. comosus
 < 
P. caribaea
 < 
H. crepitans
 < 
T. grandis
 < 
P. purpureum
respectively. Their surface morphologies, paper qualities and characteristics differ, but comparable with the earlier reported literatures on the pulps from wood and non-woody sources.