The recyclability of cellulosic wastes using disintegration methods

The current population growth and the changing environmental conditions have increased the needs of consumers in recent years. Accordingly, there has been a significant rise in the consumption of resources and the amount of the subsequent waste material. This situation has led to the obligation to use the natural resources efficiently. As a result, the importance of the environmentally friendly, sustainable recycled products have emerged. In this study, it was determined that the cellulosic plant waste which forms because of the seasonal cycles and various environmental factors can be recycled; and waste reduction was achieved by producing new environmentally friendly products out of some waste materials. Within this research, the waste leaves and stems of palm trees were used for the recycling process. Various biological, physical and chemical methods were applied on the plant waste. The cellulosic waste was put through the processes of retting, alcaline acidic thermal decomposition, bleaching and so on; the main substances like lignin, hemicellulose and pectin were removed, and certain high cellulosic materials were obtained. By using the separate biological, physical and chemical methods on both the leaves and the stems of palm waste, different products were produced in the forms of thread, fibre, cotton and paper. Each form was compared with one another, the appropriate and inappropriate chemicals were determined, and the factors such as the optimum period and temperature were identified for each process. Through the experimental studies, the effects of the parameters like the determination of the appropriate chemicals, the temperature of the solution, the standby period, the pH of the solution, the waste mass which was fed into the system, and the solution concentration were generally focused on. With the aim of identifying the characteristics of the high cellulosic materials which were produced, they were exposed to various analyses such as SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope), XRD (X-Ray Diffraction), the determination of cellulose, the water holding capacity and the per cent water absorption capacity. At the end of the experiments, the typical characteristics of the different materials which were produced in this study were identified. By considering these characteristics, the areas which they are suitable for were determined and listed in the Results Section.