title: Evaluation of agave fiber delignification by means of microscopy techniques and image analysis.
abstract: Recently, the use of different types of natural fibers to produce paper and textiles from agave plants has been proposed. Agave atrovirens can be a good source of cellulose and lignin; nevertheless, the microstructural changes that happen during delignification have scarcely been studied. The aim of this work was to study the microstructural changes that occur during the delignification of agave fibers by means of microscopy techniques and image analysis. The fibers of A. atrovirens were obtained from leaves using convective drying, milling, and sieving. Fibers were processed using the Acetosolv pulping method at different concentrations of acetic acid; increasing acid concentration promoted higher levels of delignification, structural damage, and the breakdown of fiber clumps. Delignification followed by spectrometric analysis and microstructural studies were carried out by light, confocal laser scanning and scanning electron microscopy and showed that the delignification process follows three stages: initial, bulk, and residual. Microscopy techniques and image analysis were efficient tools for microstructural characterization during delignification of agave fibers, allowing quantitative evaluation of the process and the development of linear prediction models. The data obtained integrated numerical and microstructural information that could be valuable for the study of pulping of lignocellulosic materials.
authors.affiliation: 1Departamento de Ingeniería Bioquímica,Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas,Instituto Politécnico Nacional,Plan de Ayala y Carpio s/n,Col. Santo Tomas,C. P. 11340,México D.F.,Mexico.
authors.forename: Hilda M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Hernández-Hernández
authors.affiliation: 1Departamento de Ingeniería Bioquímica,Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas,Instituto Politécnico Nacional,Plan de Ayala y Carpio s/n,Col. Santo Tomas,C. P. 11340,México D.F.,Mexico.
authors.forename: Jorge J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Chanona-Pérez
authors.affiliation: 1Departamento de Ingeniería Bioquímica,Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas,Instituto Politécnico Nacional,Plan de Ayala y Carpio s/n,Col. Santo Tomas,C. P. 11340,México D.F.,Mexico.
authors.forename: Georgina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Calderón-Domínguez
authors.affiliation: 2Centro de Nanociencias y Micro-Nanotecnología,Instituto Politécnico Nacional,Luis Enrique Erro s/n,Unidad Profesional Adolfo López Mateos,Col. Zacatenco,C. P. 07738,México D.F.,Mexico.
authors.forename: María J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Perea-Flores
authors.affiliation: 3Departamento Ingeniería en Sistemas Ambientales,Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas,Instituto Politécnico Nacional,Wilfrido Massieu s/n U,Profesor Adolfo López Mateos,Gustavo A. Madero,07738 México D.F.,Mexico.
authors.forename: Jorge A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Mendoza-Pérez
authors.affiliation: 4Departamento Química Física e Enxeñería Química I,Facultade de Ciencias,Universidade da Coruña,Campus da Zapateira,15071A Coruña España,Spain.
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vega
authors.affiliation: 4Departamento Química Física e Enxeñería Química I,Facultade de Ciencias,Universidade da Coruña,Campus da Zapateira,15071A Coruña España,Spain.
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ligero
authors.affiliation: 5Laboratorio de Microscopía Electrónica de Ultra Alta Resolución,Instituto Mexicano del Petróleo,Eje Central Lázaro Cárdenas N.152,Edif. 33,Colonia San Bartolo Atepehuacan,C. P. 07730,México D.F.,Mexico.
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Palacios-González
authors.affiliation: 1Departamento de Ingeniería Bioquímica,Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas,Instituto Politécnico Nacional,Plan de Ayala y Carpio s/n,Col. Santo Tomas,C. P. 11340,México D.F.,Mexico.
authors.forename: Reynold R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Farrera-Rebollo
mesh_terms: D019342:Acetic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D027882:Agave / Q000737:chemistry*; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008031:Lignin / Q000032:analysis* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008853:Microscopy / Q000379:methods*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry; D013057:Spectrum Analysis / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D008031:Lignin; D019342:Acetic Acid