## 3 Results and Discussion  
### Characterization of Cellulose Fibers  
#### 3.1.1 Compositional Analysis  
The sample of the untreated grass clippings exhibits notable characteristics, including an average moisture content of 5.38%, a high ash content of 14.35%, and a relatively low \(\alpha\)-cellulose content of 21.03%. It is pertinent to highlight that the \(\alpha\)-cellulose content of plant waste varies depending on its origin. For instance, diverse \(\alpha\)-cellulose contents have been reported in different plant materials, such as fallen tree leaves (-40%) [55], banana stems (-50%) [56], rice straw (-36%) [57], poplar sawdust (-40%) [58] poplar bark (-45%) [59], cotton (-90%) [60], and flax (-70%) [61]. Figure 3 shows a compositional analysis of samples originating from the untreated grass clippings alongside cellulose extracted through alkaline and bleaching treatments. Table 1 shows the chemical composition of the initial grass, the composition after alkaline treatment, and the composition after peroxide and alkaline/bleaching treatment. It is generally recognized that treatment changes the composition of fibers. The amorphous parts dissolve, and thus, the content of hemicellulose, lignin, and wax in the fibers decreases. The analysis revealed that grass clippings contain approximately 14.06% cellulose by weight. The initial hemicellulose and lignin content in grass clippings were 46.95% and 24.94%, respectively. The alkaline treatment removes amorphous components from the fiber surface, reducing the content of these two components to 21.87% and 12.68%, respectively, while the cellulose content increases to 47.61%. A more significant reduction in hemicellulose and lignin content occurs with peroxide and alkaline treatment. The alkaline-peroxide treatment reduces the hemicellulose and lignin content by 74% and 70%, respectively, compared with their initial levels, and the cellulose content increases to about 65.39%. Hemicellulose includes heteropolysaccharide structures of plant origin that form the walls of plant cells along with cellulose. Hemicellulose form significantly shorter branched chains consisting of rings of five and six carbon atoms [62]. Hemicellulose contributes significantly to the paper-forming properties of fibers. It promotes the formation of interfiber bonds within paper sheets and enhances their strength [63]. As key constituents of plant cell walls, hemicellulose and cellulose are vital in providing mechanical strength and elasticity to plant tissues. When subjected to chemical treatments, such as a reaction with sodium hydroxide, hemicellulose undergoes degradation, forming smaller sugar units and increasing alpha-cellulose content in treated samples. For instance, [PERSON] et al. [64] demonstrated the impact of chemical extraction using different concentrations of sodium hydroxide solution (5-10%) on the yield of \(\alpha\)-cellulose from palm grass residues. They found that treatment with a 10% sodium hydroxide solution for 3 h at 170 \({}^{\circ}\)C yielded a material with an \(\alpha\)-cellulose content of approximately 83%. \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c} \hline \hline
**Treatment** & **Cellulose (\%)** & **Hemicellulose (\%)** & **Lignin (\%)** \\ \hline Untreated grass clippings & 14.06 & 46.95 & 24.94 \\ Alkali-treated grass clippings & 47.61 & 21.87 & 12.68 \\ Bleached grass clippings & 65.39 & 12.70 & 7.50 \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 1: Chemical composition of grass clippings before and after treatment. Figure 3: Composition of untreated grass clippings, alkali-treated and bleached. Furthermore, the bleaching process enhances the purity of pulp by removing lignin residues and other impurities, thereby improving the overall quality of the cellulose [6]. However, despite the anticipated increase in \(\alpha\)-cellulose content following chemical-thermal treatments, some studies have reported only slight changes in the composition of the material under study.