Extraction and Characterization of Nanocrystalline Cellulose from Doum (Chamaerops humilis) Leaves: A Potential Reinforcing Biomaterial

Abstract

The aim of this investigation was to extract nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) from Moroccan Doum fibers (Chamaerops humilis) by chemical treatment to examine their potential for use as reinforcement fibers in bionanocomposite applications. The chemical composition, morphological and structural properties of the Doum fibers was determined at different stages of chemical treatment. Morphological (transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy), structural characterization (X-ray diffraction, Fourier transformed infrared), thermal characterization (thermogravimetric analysis). The suspension electrostatic stabilization (zeta potential) of NCCs was also carried out. The results of these characterization analysis found that average size of the NCC is 220 nm in length and 11 nm in diameter, with high crystallinity index (93 %), a thermal stability comparable to that of untreated Doum fibers (degradation temperature 340°C), which is reasonably promising for the use of these nanofibers in reinforced-polymer manufacturing, and a good stability in water suspension that it allows their utilization such as reinforcement of the water-soluble polymers to prepare the bio-nanocomposite.

Effect of Cationic Surface Modification on the Rheological Behavior and Microstructure of Nanocrystalline Cellulose

“…Sulfuric acid hydrolysis has commonly been used as a classical and typical process for NCC extraction [ 21 , 22 , 23 ]. Here, suspensions of NCC were prepared by the acid hydrolysis of MCC.…”

Preparation and characterization of cellulose nanocrystal extracted from ramie fibers by sulfuric acid hydrolysis

“…CNCs can be isolated from various agro-industrial wastes. In the literature, CNCs have been prepared from many different resources such as wheat straw [7], sisal [8], pineapple leaves [9], coconut husk fibers [10], banana [11], sugarcane bagasse [12], bamboo [13], mengkuang leaves [14], rice straw [15], cotton linter [16], kenaf bast [17], corn husk [18], Acacia mangium [19], oil palm fronds [20], doum leaves [21], cassava bagasse [22], sugar palm fibers [23], apple pomace [3], cotton pulp [24] and date palm [25]. Ramie fiber is a potential source of cellulose to produce CNC due to its high cellulose (72.68%), hemicellulose (13.70%), and very low contents of lignin (0.38%) [26].…”

Preparation and Characterization of Nanocrystalline Cellulose from Cladophora sp. Algae

“…The repeat unit of cellulose is also called as cellobiose. The linearity of the cellulose chain allows cellulose to form relatively regular structures or semicrystalline polymers, technically [7].…”

“…NCC could be defined as a nano-sized crystalline part of the cellulose obtained by selectively hydrolyzing the chemically susceptible amorphous part of cellulose microfibrils [6]. Strong acid, such as sulfuric acid, is usually used for the hydrolysis process toward cellulose to obtain the NCC, with concentration as high as 62.4 -64 wt% [7], [9], [10]. Some research on the NCC grows in recent years because of the nature of cellulose, which is abundant, renewable, and biodegradable, as a biobased polymer to develop a "greener" nanomaterial [7], [9].…”

“…Strong acid, such as sulfuric acid, is usually used for the hydrolysis process toward cellulose to obtain the NCC, with concentration as high as 62.4 -64 wt% [7], [9], [10]. Some research on the NCC grows in recent years because of the nature of cellulose, which is abundant, renewable, and biodegradable, as a biobased polymer to develop a "greener" nanomaterial [7], [9]. The NCC has a relatively low density (1.59 g/cm 3 ) and has experimental strength and modulus of 7.5 GPa and 150 GPa, respectively [11], [12].…”