Biometrics analysis of the stem fibers of some local Algerian plant species

Abstract

Studying the biometric characteristics of the stems of plant species has been of great interest to researchers in the wood and paper industry. The use of plant fibers has been widespread in the fields of composites, buildings, insulation, plastics and automobiles. The present study aimed to investigate the biometric characteristics of the stem fibers of local Algerian plant species, viz. Group 1 (Lygeum spartum and Stipa tenacissima), Group 2 (Linum usitatissimum in the greenhouse and Linum usitatissimum in natural conditions), Group 3 (Retama monosperma and Retama raetam) and Group 4 (Phoenix dactylifera and Ricinus communis). The extraction process was carried out using 1 M NaOH at 60 °C for 48 hours, and the fiber length was calculated for all the species using a micrometer. The fiber length of stems of all the species ranged from 0.36 to 5.18 mm. Then, the difference between each of the two species was approximated using Student's test. The results obtained showed that the t value ranged from 0.50 to 1.79 for Groups 4 and 1, respectively. There was no significant difference between them. These results suggest that these species are promising raw materials for paper production due to their adequate fibre length.