Properties and potential applications of natural cellulose fibers from the bark of cotton stalks

Natural cellulose fibers have been obtained from the bark of cotton stalks and the fibers have been used to develop composites. Cotton stalks are rich in cellulose and account for up to 3 times the quantity of cotton fiber produced per acre. Currently, cotton stalks have limited use and are mostly burned on the ground. Natural cellulose fibers obtained from cotton stalks are composed of approximately 79% cellulose and 13.7% lignin. The fibers have breaking tenacity of 2.9 g per denier and breaking elongation of 3% and modulus of 144 g per denier, between that of cotton and linen. Polypropylene composites reinforced with cotton stalk fibers have flexural, tensile and impact resistance properties similar to jute fiber reinforced polypropylene composites. Utilizing cotton stalks as a source for natural cellulose fibers provides an opportunity to increase the income from cotton crops and make cotton crops more competitive to the biofuel crops. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.