Abstract
There are plant cuticle and complex cell walls on the outer surface of cotton stalk bark (CSB), which reduce the efficiency of liquid penetration of CSB. To increase the permeability of liquids, these barriers need to be broken. Cellulase can selectively hydrolyze cellulose into glucose, and its action conditions are mild. Therefore, cellulase treatment is one of the excellent ways to break the CSB liquid permeation barrier. This experiment studied the effects of different amounts of cellulase treatment on the enzymatic hydrolysis products and surface of CSB. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and nano-CT were used to observe the changes in the microscopic morphology of CSB. Ion chromatography and an ultraviolet–visible spectrophotometer were used to determine the dissolution of CSB. The results showed that the cuticle of CSB treated with cellulase was broken, and the cell wall of phloem fibers became thinner, which increased the accessibility of liquid. The content of monosaccharide and lignin in CSB treatment solution increased with the increase of cellulase dosage. Correspondingly, the proportion of polysaccharides on the outer surface of CSB continued to decline and eventually stabilized. These experimental results can provide a reference for improving the permeability of natural fibers and the subsequent treatment effects of biomass products.Graphical abstractThe pretreatment of cotton stalk barks with cellulase destroyed the dense protective structure of cell wall, and the content of monosaccharide and lignin in the treated solution increased with the increase of cellulase dosage.
Highlights
Cotton is the most abundant cash crops and agriculture products in tropical and sub-tropical countries
The performances of cotton stalk bark fiber prepared by the combined treatment of steam explosion and laccase are better than that of only steam explosion method, and its performances could meet the requirements of textile fibers [65]
The C2 peak corresponds to carbon–oxygen bonds and is derived from all wood compounds, especially cellulose and hemicellulose
Summary
Cotton is the most abundant cash crops and agriculture products in tropical and sub-tropical countries. To obtain high economic benefits, cotton is grown as an annual plant in the world. Combining cellulose with other materials can produce a variety of composite materials [57,58,59,60,61,62,63]. Cotton stalk has been widely studied as a high-quality raw material to produce biomass products. Liu et al used Ganoderma lucidum white-rot fungi to grow cotton stalk, and prepared a new type of sustainable mycelium/cotton stalk composite materials by hot-pressed at 200 °C. In addition to traditional applications, cotton stalks can be used as raw materials for new energy sources, such as biomass briquettes [67], gasification [68], and biofuel production [69]. Cotton stalks can be used to prepare activated carbon with excellent properties [70]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
