Extraction of Microcrystalline Cellulose from Washingtonia Fibre and Its Characterization

Abstract

Washingtonia is a desert plant with great sustainability and renewability in nature and is abundantly cultivated across global urban regions. Its fibre biomass comprises cellulose as the major structural part, and this is why it can be potentially utilized as an alternative biomaterial for manufacturing microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) products that can be widely applied in industrial fields. In the present study, NaOH-treated Washingtonia fibre (WAKL), NaClO2-treated Washingtonia fibre (WBLH), and Washingtonia microcrystalline cellulose (WMCC) were extracted through combined treatments of alkalization, bleaching, and acidic hydrolysis, respectively. The obtained chemically treated fibre samples were subjected to characterization to investigate their morphology, physico-chemistry, and thermal stability. In a morphological examination, the large bunch WAKL fibre reduced into small size WMCC fibrils, evidencing that the lignin and hemicellulose components were greatly eliminated through chemical dissolution. The elemental composition revealed that almost all impurities of anions and cations had been removed, particularly for the WMCC sample, showing its high purity of cellulose content. Additionally, the WMCC sample could attain at 25% yield, giving it the advantage for feasible economic production. Furthermore, the physicochemical analysis, Fourier Transform Infrared-ray (FTIR), indicated the presence of a crystalline cellulose region within the WMCC structure, which had promoted it with high crystallinity of 72.6% as examined by X-ray diffraction (XRD). As for thermal analysis, WMCC showed greater thermal stability comparing to WAKL and WBLC samples at high temperature. Therefore, Washingtonia fibre can be a reliable biosubstituent to replace other plant material for MCC production in the future.

Chemical Composition and Extraction of Micro Crystalline Cellulose from Outer Skin Isolated Coffee Husk

“…Finally, the FTIR spectra of BL sample shown in Figure 4 shows the delignifcation process of sample and further extraction of MCC. In this spectra, the elimination of almost the remaining lignin was proven by the removal of peak at 1516 cm − 1 , and the peak band around 3440 and 2920 cm − 1 is related with the characteristic values of purifed cellulose and the broadened peak and sharp peaks in the BL sample implying enhanced cellulose content and increasingly exposed cellulose content in the sample [60]. In addition, the spectra around 1430 cm − 1 are connected to the crystallinity of cellulose and are related to CH 2 symmetric stretching.…”

“…Te alkali treatment removes this peak apparently from the cellulose so that these spectra was eliminated from the AT sample spectrum. Te absorption at 3440 cm − 1 is correlated to the -OH stretching vibration of cellulose [60]. Te cellulose did not show the absorption band located at 1739 cm − 1 , which is a typical behavior of the stretching vibration of C�O and C-O.…”

“…It was suggested that the two-cycle NaOH-alkali treatment and H 2 SO 4 and H 2 O 2 -based bleaching processes promote highly ordered coated cellulose-II crystallites in outer skinisolated cofee husk through improving intra and intermolecular hydrogen bonding. Te peak 22.2 °34.6 and 44.0 AT, BL -OH groups stretching of cellulose [60] were observed to be sharpened gradually and also had high intensity for both ATand BL samples as compared to UTand DW samples. Tis was likely due to the alkali treatment and bleaching processes that removed residual compounds and produced coated cellulose-II crystalline structure with 54.7% yield.…”

“…Te two-cycle bleaching process in Figure 6(d) causes the fber to split into isolated cellulose microcrystalline. According to reported pieces of literature, the acidic attack disintegrates the cellulose structure into individual small microcrystalline size, and penetration of acidic ions into the inner part of fber could depolymerize the cellulose by degrading the amorphous regions [60]. Te chemically-treated cellulose microcrystalline average diameters are about 2-3 μm but the exact length is difcult to determine.…”

Evaluation of Chemical Composition of Miscanthus × giganteus Raised in Different Climate Regions in Russia

“…It is essential to advance alternative energy sources in order to replace fossil fuel resources, mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and abate the anthropogenic burden on the environment [ 2 , 3 ]. Lignocellulosic biomass is of great interest as an alternative energy resource because of the significant benefits it offers: great diversity, availability, carbon neutrality and low cost as compared to fossil fuels [ 2 , 4 , 5 ]. As of today, lignocellulosic biomass is estimated at almost 25% of the global energy supply [ 6 ].…”