Characterization of New Cellulosic Fibers Obtained fromZingiber Officinale

Zingiber officinale (known as ginger), a natural flowering plant of Zingiberaceae family, was taken to investigate its possible utilization in a textile material. Zingiber officinale fibers (ZOFs) were obtained from the plant root. The cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin contents of ZOFs were determined. Elemental analysis of ZOFs was carried out with energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) instrument. Surface morphology of fibers was investigated with a scanning electron microscope (SEM) instrument. The chemical functional groups of ZOFs were confirmed with Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The crystalline structure of ZOFs was analyzed with X-ray diffraction (XRD), and then the crystallinity index was calculated as 78.81%. In addition to this, mechanical properties of ZOFs were investigated with Shimadzu Ag-X machine. The EDX and FT-IR results show that ZOFs have cellulosic structure. Furthermore, it was obtained that ZOFs have rough surface structure and the thickness is approximately 155 µm. The physical properties of ZOFs are substantial enough for its usage as a textile fiber.