The determination of porosity and cellulose content of plant fibers by density methods

L Y Mwaikambo, M P Ansell

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

112 Citations (SciVal)

Abstract

A combination of the Archimedes method and the technique of helium pycnometry was used to perform accurate measurements of porosity and cellulose content. For this purpose, the densities of hemp, sisal, jute and kapok fibers were measured. An equation was developed using the bulk and absolute density of the fiber and the density of pure cellulose to determine the amount of cellulose a particular fiber contains. As a result, true plant fiber porosity and cellulose content were accurately determined.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)2095-2096
Number of pages2
JournalJournal of Materials Science Letters
Volume20
Issue number23
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2001

Keywords

  • Organic solvents
  • Scanning electron microscopy
  • Density measurement (specific gravity)
  • Natural fibers
  • Impurities
  • Cellulose
  • Porosity
  • Image analysis
  • Benzene
  • Composition
  • Composition effects

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