Novel Biobased Textile Fiber from Colombian Agro-Industrial Waste Fiber.

Maria Amaya Vergara,Robin Zuluaga Gallego,Melissa Cortés Gómez,Cristina Castro Herazo,Miguel Pereira Soto,Maria Restrepo Restrepo,Piedad Gañán Rojo,Jorge Manrique Henao

doi:10.3390/molecules23102640

Maria Amaya Vergara, Robin Zuluaga Gallego + Show 6 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules23102640

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Abstract

Fique fibers, native to Colombia, are traditionally used for ropes and bags. In the extraction of long fibers for these purposes, the same amount of short fibers is generated; the short fibers are then discarded in the soil or in landfills. This agro-industrial waste is cellulose-rich and can be potentially developed into new biobased products. As an alternative use for these fibers, viscose regenerated fibers with potential applications in the textile industry were developed. Fique waste fibers were pulped (to produce fique cellulose pulp, FCP) using a 33 design of experiment (DOE) to adjust the variables of the whitening treatment, and DOE analysis showed that time and hydrogen peroxide concentration do not have a significant effect on non-cellulosic remotion, unlike temperature. The behavior of this pulp in the production of viscose was compared against that of commercially available wood cellulose pulp (WCP). FCP showed a suitable cellulose content with a high degree of polymerization, which makes it a viable pulp for producing discontinuous viscose rayon filaments. Both pulps showed the same performance in the production of the viscose dope and the same chemical, thermal, and mechanical behavior after being regenerated.

Highlights

In recent years, chemical industries have been searching for environmentally friendly raw materials to use in their industrial processes
A cellulose isolation process was satisfactorily performed using fique and less-polluting treatments to obtain a pulp with cellulose content and polymerization grade (DP)
The Fique Cellulose Viscose (FV) dope presented a suitable viscosity for the extrusion (6000–4000 MPa) and a suitable ripening index (11–14 mL) to obtain a solution that coagulates in a reasonable time in the regeneration and solidification process

Summary

Introduction

Chemical industries have been searching for environmentally friendly raw materials to use in their industrial processes Several biobased polymers such as cellulose, starch, proteins, and oils have been successfully used in the formulation of many products, e.g., cellulose for rayon viscose fibers [1]. Cellulose is mainly isolated from wood (90–95 wt % of all pulp) This source has been questioned because it is related to environmental problems such as deforestation which impact on climate, hydrology, soils, and biodiversity [2]. In this context, non-wood sources with significant cellulose content such as cotton linters [3], waste bagasse [4], oil palm empty fruit bunches [5], and bamboo [6] have been investigated for the production of several industrial products such as viscose rayon textile fibers.

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