Physicochemical characteristics and dyeing properties of lignin-cellulosic fibers derived from Nerium oleander

Natural lignin-cellulose fibers were prepared, by a facile procedure, from Nerium oleander. The prepared fibers were characterized for their chemical structure and morphology using FT-IR spectroscopy, Scanning Electronic Microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The average length of the fiber was found to be 10.2 mm (SFC = 90%). The lignin and cellulose contents were 21% and 45%, respectively, determined by the standard methods. FT-IR results confirm the basic structure of lignin-cellulose. The surface of the Nerium oleander fibers is smooth with a straight shape. The presence of hemicelluloses and lignin in their structure was supported by the low calculated crystallinity Index (CrI, 43.4%) and the small crystallite size (2.23). The dyeing properties were investigated using Methylene Blue (MB) and Direct Yellow 50 (DY50) and the fibers exhibited high color retention values compared to cotton which could prove the lignin-cellulosic structure of the prepared fibers. Results from analysis of chemical composition exhibited that the polysaccharide content in Nerium oleander fibers is close to that associated with wood materials, which justifies the possibility to isolate the paper cellulose from such a cost-effective source.