The Potential of Photosynthetic Aquatic Species as Sources of Useful Cellulose Fibers - A Review

Photosynthetic aquatic species, i.e., micro- and macroalgae and fresh or salt water plants, contain cellulose or other fibrous materials potentially suitable for paper making. Photosynthetic aquatic species having cellulosic or fibrous characteristics necessary for paper production were reviewed. These characteristics include overall fiber content, fiber size and morphology, and fiber composition. Several species of algae and aquatic plants are reported to possess cellulose in quantities greater than 10 % of total dry weight, and in general, the cellulose content in aquatic species is lower than that of most wood species. Commercial application of these aquatic algal or plant materials has been limited to simple milling, and no commercial applications utilizing processes to isolate the cellulosic fibers from these materials have yet been found.