Characterization of components of milkweed floss fiber

ABSTRACT

Asclepias syriaca L., has been recently grown in Quebec, Canada, for commercial applications. Because of lack of information on the chemical composition of this fiber, a study has been conducted to isolate the components using three different procedures of extraction. Then, these components have been analyzed by different techniques, including FTIR, SEM, XPS, and GC/MS. Moreover, the crystallinity index (CI) of the cellulose component has been measured according to well-known XRD methods. Experimental results shows that Asclepias syriaca is constituted of 40–45% cellulose, 35–40% hemicellulose, 15% lignin, 3% free sugars, and 3% wax. The CI of cellulose lays between 60% and 70%.

KEYWORDS:

• Asclepias syriaca L.
• milkweed
• natural fiber
• ecofriendly materials
• cellulose crystallinity