Table 3.
Chemical composition of some of the most common natural fibers (adapted from [1,2,27,45,50,51,52,53].
| Fiber | Cellulose (wt %) | Hemicellulose (wt %) | Lignin (wt %) | Wax (wt %) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bast fibers | ||||
| Jute | 61.0–71.5 | 13.6–20.4 | 12.0–13.0 | 0.5 |
| Flax | 71.0 | 18.6–20.6 | 2.2 | 1.7 |
| Hemp | 70.2–74.4 | 17.9–22.4 | 3.7–5.7 | 0.8 |
| Kenaf | 45.0–57.0 | 21.5 | 15.0–19.0 | -- |
| Ramie | 68.6–76.2 | 13.1–16.7 | 0.6–0.7 | 0.3 |
| Seed fibers | ||||
| Cotton | 82.7–91.0 | 5.7 | -- | 0.6 |
| Milkweed | 55.0 | 24.0 | 18.0 | 1.0–2.0 |
| Coir | 32.0–43.0 | 0.2–0.3 | 40.0–45.0 | -- |
| Kapok | 13.0–35.0 | 23.0–32.0 | 13.0–21.0 | -- |
| Leaf fibers | ||||
| Sisal | 67.0–78.0 | 10.0–14.2 | 8.0–11.0 | 2 |
| Pineapple | 70.0–82.0 | -- | 5.0–12.0 | -- |
| Agave | 68.4 | 4.9 | 4.9 | 0.3 |
| Banana | 63.0–64.0 | 6.0–.0 | 5.0 | -- |
| Abaca | 56.0–63.0 | 20.0–25.0 | 7.0–12.4 | 3 |
| Grass fibers | ||||
| Bagasse | 55.2 | 16.8 | 25.3 | -- |
| Bamboo | 26.0–43.0 | 30.0 | 21.0–31.0 | -- |
| Straw fibers | ||||
| Rice | 41.0–57.0 | 33.0 | 8.0–19.0 | 8.0–38.0 |
| Corn | 38.0–40.0 | 28.0 | 7.0–21.0 | -- |
| Wheat | 38.0–45.0 | 15.0–31.0 | 12.0–20.0 | -- |
| Wood fibers | ||||
| Softwood | 40.0–45.0 | 7.0–14.0 | 26.0–36.0 | -- |
| Hardwood | 38.0–50.0 | 19.0–26.0 | 20.0–30.0 | -- |