Paper from Stipagrostis pungens

Stipagrostis pungens is a traditional medicinal annual plant growing in Tunisia. It is quite a small plant suitable for Tunisia arid areas. This paper deals with the study of the chemical composition and the cooking of this raw material, in order to produce lignocellulosic fibres. The chemical composition of S. pungens has showed that it contains quite high amount of extractives, lignin (around 12%) and polysaccharides (71%). The α-cellulose amounts are acceptable (44%). Finally, the ash content was around 4.65%. With the insight of such data, we have undertaken the soda-anthraquinone cooking of S. pungens and produced lignocellulosic fibres. Different cooking temperatures (120 and 140 °C) and times were tested. A yield of about 43% w/w was obtained and the produced pulps had a kappa number of around 11. Finally, the isolated fibres were used to produce laboratory handmade standard sheets. The structural and mechanical properties of the prepared samples were close to those of other common annual plants-based fibre-mats.