Characterization of some Brazilian Lignocellulosic Materials for Nanocellulose Production

Considering the importance of the use of alternative vegetable fibers in the production of nanocellulose, in this work, four Brazilian fibers, Pampas-grass, silk-floss, coconut, and Phormium tenax were chemically, morphologically, and thermally characterized. Composition, solubility extractives, and crystallinity indexes of fibers indicate how aggressively or mildly the fiber treatment may be carried out to produce nanofibers. The use of coconut fibers stored for a long time (17 years) resulted in fibers with much lower lignin content, which may be interesting considering other lignocellulosic fibers. According to the specific characteristics of each fiber, chemical and/or mechanical treatments were applied. The one that resulted in the lowest lignin content was chosen to produce nanocellulose characterized by scanning (SEM) and transmission (TEM) electron microscopy. SEM microscopy of powder silk-floss nanocellulose was also shown without any chemical treatment.