Microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) was prepared from the residue of the incomplete liquefaction of eucalyptus sawdust; atmospheric liquefaction was carried out using ethylene glycol as the solvent and 1-(4-sulfobutyl)-3-methylimidazolium hydrosulfate as the catalyst. The highest cellulose content in the residue reached 93.9%. The MCC prepared from liquefaction was characterized by various techniques, which included infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, thermo-gravimetric analysis, and scanning electron microscopy. The results were compared to those of a commercial MCC (cotton linters). The analyses indicated that hemicelluloses and lignin were removed extensively from the MCC produced from the sawdust. The MCC was a cellulose I polymorph with 79.0% crystallinity. The particles were shaped as elongated rods and had good thermal stability. The particle sizes of the produced MCC ranged from 1 µm to 100 µm with a mean of 38.6 µm.
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