Pulps isolated from Miscanthus, oat hulls, and intermediate flax straw with sodium benzoate

To explore the susceptibility of herbaceous plants to delignification with hydrotropic liquors, the pulping of Miscanthus , oat hulls, and intermediate flax straw was performed with a concentrated sodium benzoate solution. The main characteristics of pulp samples derived hydrotropically from Miscanthus , oat hulls, and intermediate flax straw are given. Miscanthus was found to be more susceptible to delignification, with a pulp yield of 45% and lignin content of 7%. For oat hulls, the pulp yield is 31% and lignin content 9%. The cooking of intermediate flax straw affords a pulp in 51% yield but the lignin content is as high as 17%; further studies are needed. The pulps obtained from Miscanthus and oat hulls were confirmed by infrared spectroscopy.