Non-wood Fiber Treatment

Chapter II
Review of Related Literature
Chemical Wood Pulping Chemical wood pulping involves the extraction of cellulose from wood by dissolving the lignin that binds the cellulose fibers together. The 4 processes principally used in chemical pulping are kraft, sulfite, neutral sulfite semichemical (NSSC), and soda. The first 3 display the greatest potential for causing air pollution. The kraft process alone accounts for over 80 percent of the chemical pulp produced in the United States. The choice of pulping process is determined by the desired product, by the wood species available, and by economic considerations.(Geyson,2012)

Pyrolysis Pyrolysis is a thermochemical decomposition of organic material at elevated temperatures in the absence of oxygen (or any halogen). It involves the simultaneous change of chemical composition and physical phase, and is irreversible. The word is coined from the Greek-derived elements pyro "fire" and lysis "separating". Pyrolysis also plays an important role in several cooking procedures, such as baking, frying, grilling, and caramelizing. In addition, it is a tool of chemical analysis, for example, in mass spectrometry and in carbon-14 dating. Indeed, many important chemical substances, such as phosphorus and sulfuric acid, were first obtained by this process. Pyrolysis has been assumed to take place during catagenesis, the conversion of buried organic matter to fossil fuels. It is also the basis of pyrography. In their embalming process, the ancient Egyptians used a mixture of substances, including methanol, which they obtained from the pyrolysis of wood. Pyrolysis differs from other high-temperature processes like combustion and hydrolysis in that it usually does not involve reactions with oxygen, water, or any other reagents. In practice, it is not possible to achieve a completely oxygen-free atmosphere. Because some oxygen is present in any pyrolysis system, a small amount of oxidation occurs. (Roxen,2012)

Non-Wood Plants
Anahaw plant Saribus rotundifolius could be a round-leaf fountain palm found in geographical area. it's a member of the genus Saribus. it's conjointly known as footrest palm (English) and as Anahaw or Luyong (Filipino). The foliage of the Saribus rotundifolius is that the unofficial national leaf of the Philippines.
It is a typical landscaping plant within the region. It will grow in sub-tropical climates and wet, tropical areas.
The leaves are used for thatching and food wrapping. Overharvesting of leaves of untamed plants have reduced leaf size. The leaves do grow quicker when harvest however tend to be smaller.
(Amaro Jr.,2010)

Banana Plant
A banana is associate degree fruit made by many sorts of massive nonwoody flowering plants within the liliopsid genus.(In some countries, bananas used for change of state could also be known as plantains.) The fruit is variable in size, color and firmness, however is typically elongated and incurved, with soft flesh wealthy in starch coated with a rind which can be inexperienced, yellow, red, purple, or brown once ripe. The fruits grow in clusters hanging from the highest of the plant. the majority trendy edible parthenocarpic (seedless) bananas return from 2 wild species – banana tree and genus Musa balbisiana. The scientific names of most cultivated bananas square measure banana tree, genus Musa balbisiana, and genus Musa × paradisiaca for the hybrid banana tree × M. balbisiana, counting on their genomic constitution. The recent scientific name genus Musa sapientum isn't any longer used.
Musa species square measure native to tropical Indomalaya and Australia, and square measure possible to possess been 1st domesticated in Papua Papua.They are mature in a minimum of 107 countries,primarily for his or her fruit, and to a lesser extent to form fiber, banana wine and banana brewage and as decorative plants. (Morton, 2009)

Alkali Treatments For plant genetics, it would be useful to monitor easily the segregation of different alleles using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Preparation of DNA templates from individual plants needs to be rapid and reliable. A one tube protocol is described that involves subjecting plant tissue pieces to alkali, neutralization and heat denaturation prior to PCR analysis, and that proved to be much faster and more reliable than published protocols. The poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) biodegradable composites reinforced with coir fibers were developed. The effect of alkali treatment on the surface morphology and mechanical properties of coir fibers, interfacial shear strength (IFSS) and mechanical properties of coir fiber/PBS composites was studied. The effect of fiber mass content varying from 10% to 30% on the mechanical properties of coir fiber/PBS composites was also investigated. The coir fibers which are soaked in 5% sodium hydroxide solution at room temperature (RT) for 72 h showed the highest IFSS with 55.6% higher than untreated coir fibers. The mechanical properties of alkali-treated coir fiber/PBS composites are significantly higher than those of untreated fibers. The best mechanical properties of alkali-treated coir fiber/PBS composite were achieved at fiber mass content of 25% in this study, which showed an increase of tensile strength by 54.5%, tensile modulus by 141.9%, flexural strength by 45.7% and flexural modulus by 97.4% compared to those of pure PBS resin. The fiber surface morphologies and fractured surface of the composites exhibited an improvement of interfacial fiber–matrix adhesion in the composites reinforced with alkali-treated coir fibers. (Hanberg,2010)

Pyrolized Fiber An environment friendly, green composite design was demonstrated by producing an almost completely biorenewable and affordable material. Mildly pyrolyzed chicken feather fibers (PCFF) were incorporated in acrylated epoxidized soybean oil (AESO) and methacrylated lauric acid (MLAU)-based thermosetting resin to provide reinforcement in low density and rubbery polymer applications. The mechanical properties of the polymer composite, such as storage modulus, tensile modulus, tensile strength, and fracture energy were directly proportional to the fiber content. Varying the fiber content up to 32 wt % allowed for a wide tuning of mechanical properties (i.e., 20–300 MPa storage modulus and 10–150 MPa range at room temperature). Upon subjecting the CFFs to a strategic pyrolysis thermal history, the formation of isopeptide and ester bonds with limited protein backbone scission resulted in mechanical fiber integrity. Thermally stabilized PCFF have the potential for utilization in composite manufacturing, where typical manufacturing temperatures, especially in thermoplastic extrusion, exceed the untreated biobased fiber degradation temperature (215°C). (Keys,2009)