Application of Underwater Discharge for Modification of Cellulose Materials

The electric parameters of ¿face¿ underwater discharges were under study. Oscillograms of current and voltage were obtained for various conditions of discharge ignition, and dynamic current-voltage characteristics were obtained. The application of this type of discharge for delignification processes of rough bast fibers (flax, hemp, and jute) in different solutions was investigated. The residual lignin was determined after plasma-solution treatment and after a shorter chemical treatment with reduced alkalinity. Such two-stage treatment was shown to be effective considerably as far as the delignification degree was 68% for flax, 64% for hemp, and 39% for jute, which are higher than those of lignin removal by traditional chemical technologies.