Ultrastructural changes of cell walls under intense mechanical treatment of selective plant raw material

Structural changes of cell walls under intense mechanical treatment of corn straw and oil-palm fibers were studied by electron and light microscopy. Differences in the character of destruction of plant biomass were revealed, and the dependence of destruction mechanisms on the structure of cell walls and lignin content was demonstrated. We suggest that the high reactivity of the particles of corn straw (about 18% of lignin) after intense mechanical treatment is related to disordering of cell walls and an increase of the surface area, while in the case of oil palm (10% of lignin) the major contribution into an increase in the reactivity is made by an increase of surface area.

► Structure of cell walls determines the processes of plant materials' destruction.
► Ultrastructure of highly lignified materials strongly disordering by mechanical action.
► Ultrastructure of low-lignified materials is not disordering by mechanical action.