UTILIZING SALVINIA MOLESTA FOR CELLULOSE PRODUCTION: AN ECO -FRIENDLY STRATEGY
A. R. Abeyweera1* and A. M. P. B. Samarasekara2
Session: Technical Session C
Abstract
Salvinia molesta is a very aggressive aquatic weed that poses a significant threat to water bodies worldwide. It invades quickly and disrupts ecosystems leading to serious environmental and economic problems. Traditional ways to control this invasive plant such as biological, physical or chemical methods have often proven ineffective. These methods can also be costly and labour-intensive. Recent research indicates that cellulose may offer viable alternatives. The research aimed at extracting high-purity cellulose from Salvinia molesta through a comprehensive pretreatment procedure. This procedure involves an initial Soxhlet extraction followed by an alkaline treatment and a bleaching process with the primary goal of isolating cellulose from the plant's biomass. The extracted cellulose was characterized using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) to confirm its chemical composition and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) to assess its morphology. The FTIR analysis verified the successful isolation of cellulose while SEM imaging revealed well-preserved structural integrity, indicating high-quality cellulose extraction. These findings demonstrate that high-quality cellulose can be extracted from Salvinia molesta. This research presents an innovative and sustainable method for managing Salvinia molesta by converting it into cellulose, a biodegradable polymer widely used in the production of biodegradable composites suitable for diverse industrial applications such as packaging, bio-medical and textiles. This study significantly contributes to ecological restoration initiatives through the advancement of biodegradable materials, thereby fostering economic benefits.
Keywords: cellulose, FTIR, Salvinia molesta, SEM, sustainable material
DOI: 10.64752/WNLW3903