Depleting natural resources, regulations on using synthetic
materials, growing environmental awareness and
economic considerations are the major driving forces to
utilize annually renewable resources such as biomass for
various industrial applications [see Kozlowski, R. (1987)
Green fibres and their potential in diversified application;
www.fao.org/DOCREP/004/Y1873E/y1873eob.htm].
Biomass such as agricultural crops and residues, forest
resources and residues, animal and municipal wastes is
the largest source for cellulose in the world. Approximately
2!1011 tons of lignocellulosics are produced every
year, compared with 1.5!108 tons of synthetic polymers
[2]. Organic agricultural wastes (agricultural byproducts)
are annually renewable, available in abundance and of
limited value at present. These lignocellulosic byproducts
could be a principal source for fibers, chemicals and other
industrial products. Primary lignocellulosic agricultural
byproducts that are available in considerable quantity and
at low cost are corn stover, wheat, rice, barley straw,
sorghum stalks, coconut husks (coir), sugarcane bagasse,
and pineapple and banana leaves. Using these crop residues
for industrial applications could be an additional source of
revenue for farmers,withoutadversely affecting soil fertility