Extraction and Characterization of Cellulose from Natural Areca Fiber

In areca empty fruit bunch, fibres are packed strongly with hemicelluloses, lignin and with slight deposition of wax and inorganic elements. In the work reported, for the extraction of cellulose from the raw areca fibres, formic acid (20% v/v) and hydrogen peroxide (10% v/v) were used and the yield of 65% cellulose was attained. To know α-cellulose content with crystallinity, XRD diffractions studies were carried and the values were found to be 93% and 71% respectively. FTIR spectral studies confirm the absence of hemicellulose, lignin and wax in the cellulose extracted from areca fibres. The morphological studies provided the evidence for isolated fibres and removal of deposits in the extracted cellulose.