A new physical-chemical process for the efficient production of cellulose fibers from Spanish broom (Spartium junceum L.).

A novel and efficient method for the extraction of cellulose fibers from Spanish broom (Spartium junceum L.) is presented. The method is based on the sequential combination between an initial chemical stage (alkaline digestion) and a subsequent physical-chemical stage, consisting of compression with hot air in an autoclave followed by rapid decompression (DiCoDe process, digestion-compression-decompression).