1. Introduction
Cotton is the principal source of natural fibres for textile industries,
and thus one of the most abundant sources of agro-industrial
biomass. Globally, more than 12 million hectares of cotton is
planted across 80 countries producing approximately 26 million
tonnes of refined cotton according to the latest production figures
for 2012–13 (Anon., 2013). The high level of cotton cultivation also
equates to high production of cotton gin wastes and residues. In
the US alone it is estimated that the cotton industry produces
about 2.26 million tonnes of cotton gin waste annually (Jeoh and
Agblevor, 2001). In Australia, cotton production is also a significant
broadacre crop with more than half a million hectares currently
under cultivation