• Ajmal Thayyullathil
• M M Sajeevan
• C M Naseera

Holocellulose and α-cellulose was extracted and characterized from the leaves of Pandanus tectorius (Screw pine) grown locally from the river side of Calicut. Initially the chemical composition of the leaves was determined. Screw pine leaves were found to contain higher weight percentage of holocellulose (59.5%), α-cellulose (35.3%) and hemicellulose (24.2%) as its significant constituents. Holocellulose and α-cellulose were obtained from the leaves by bleaching followed by alkali treatment. The oven dried leaves (ODS) along with the isolated components were studied in terms of their structural, morphological and thermal characteristics. Structural analysis using FT-IR and XRD revealed the higher crystalline nature of α-cellulose with 53.3 % crystallinity index percentage compared to ODS (30.4%) and holocellulose (48.1%) . The thermal stability of α-cellulose was evidenced from the higher decomposition temperature compared to other components by TG and DTG analysis. Morphological analysis using SEM showed more compact structure for α-cellulose compared to holocellulose .

Screw pine leaves, Bleaching, α-cellulose ,Crystallinity

"A COMPARATIVE STUDY ON STRUCTURAL, THERMAL AND MORPHOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF HOLOCELLULOSE AND ALPHA CELLULOSE EXTRACTED FROM THE LEAVES OF PANDANUS TECTORIUS (SCREW PINE)", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.5, Issue 1, page no.261-271, January-2018, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1801354.pdf

"A COMPARATIVE STUDY ON STRUCTURAL, THERMAL AND MORPHOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF HOLOCELLULOSE AND ALPHA CELLULOSE EXTRACTED FROM THE LEAVES OF PANDANUS TECTORIUS (SCREW PINE)", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.5, Issue 1, page no. pp261-271, January-2018, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1801354.pdf