Lignocellulosic Biomass: A Sustainable Resource for the Paper Industry

This research is mainly focussed on the prospects of producing pulp and paper from sustainable plant source. Fibers of matured Luffa cylindrica fruit were considered for this study. The chemical composition studies showed that these fibers contain 82.4% of holocellulose, 11.2% of lignin and 0.63% of ash. These fibers were observed through light microscope and the important fiber parameters such as fiber diameter, fiber lumen and cell wall thickness were measured. Based on the observed values, the derived indices that determine a fiber’s suitability for pulping such as Runkel index, slenderness ratio, co-efficient of rigidity, flexibility co-efficient, Luce’s shape factor and Solids factor of the fibers were evaluated. The derived indices, fiber morphology and chemical composition were found similar to the fibers used for paper and pulp production ascertaining the objectives.