Cellulose fibers isolated from energycane bagasse using alkaline and sodium chlorite treatments: Structural, chemical and thermal properties

Cellulose fibers were successfully extracted from energycane bagasse by using a combined NaOH and NaClO2 treatment. After the delignification process, most lignin and hemicelluloses were removed with a 27.4 wt% yield of cellulose fibers, and the mean diameter of cellulose fibers decreased from 137 ± 46 (raw fiber bundles) to 12 ± 5 μm (unpacked fibers). The crystallinity of cellulose fibers first decreased and then increased during the transformation from cellulose I to II, and it gradually decreased after a further NaClO2 treatment. The raw bagasse fibers showed a three-step pyrolysis process, while isolated cellulose fibers had a one-step pyrolysis process. NaClO2 treatment caused the reduction of cellulose thermal stability due to its acting on lignin and cellulose.