Sains Malaysiana 50(9)(2021): 2523-2535

http://doi.org/10.17576/jsm-2021-5009-03

Synthesis and Characterization of Carboxymethyl Cellulose Derived from Empty Fruit Bunch

(Sintesis dan Pencirian Karboksimetil Selulosa daripada Tandan Kosong Kelapa Sawit)

NURUL SUHADA AB RASID¹, MUZAKKIR MOHAMMAD ZAINOL^1,2 & NOR AISHAH SAIDINA AMIN¹*

¹Chemical Reaction Engineering Group (CREG), School of Chemical and Energy Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81300 UTM Johor Bahru, Johor Darul Takzim, Malaysia

²School of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

Received: 13 April 2020/Accepted: 27 January 2021

ABSTRACT

Oil palm empty fruit bunch (EFB), a cellulose rich lignocellulosic biomass has huge potential to be utilised as a raw material for the synthesis of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC). In this study, CMC was synthesised from EFB extracted cellulose at the optimum carboxymethylation reaction conditions. The extracted cellulose yield obtained by alkaline treatment followed by bleaching with hydrogen peroxide was 45.5 wt.%. The cellulose structure was elucidated using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns. Meanwhile, the synthesised CMC was characterised with FT-IR, XRD and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The maximum degree of substitution (DS) obtained was 1.30 with the yield of 177.51 wt.% and purity 89% determined using chemical methods at the optimum conditions of 30 wt.% of NaOH, 18 g of SMCA, 65 °C, 3 h reaction time and less than 75 μm of EFB-cellulose particle size. XRD analysis inferred low crystallinity while FTIR spectra verified the CMC structure and presence of different functional groups. The results for DS and EFB CMC yield obtained from this work were considerably higher than those reported in the literature. The synthesised EFB CMC can be further utilised in various industries such as detergent, mining, flotation, and oil and gas drilling muds applications.

Keywords: Carboxymethyl cellulose; cellulose; empty fruit bunch; oil palm; pre-treatment

ABSTRAK

Tandan kosong kelapa sawit (EFB) iaitu biojisim lignoselulosa yang kaya dengan selulosa mempunyai potensi besar untuk digunakan sebagai bahan mentah bagi sintesis karboksimetil selulosa (CMC). Dalam kajian ini, CMC telah disintesis daripada selulosa EFB yang telah diekstrak pada keadaan tindak balas karboksimetilasi yang optimum. Hasil selulosa yang diekstrak menggunakan rawatan alkali diikuti oleh pelunturan dengan hidrogen peroksida adalah 45.5% bt. Struktur selulosa telah diperoleh menggunakan analisis termogravimetrik (TGA), spektroskopi transformasi Fourier inframerah (FT-IR) dan corak difraksi sinar-X (XRD). Sementara itu, CMC yang disintesis telah dicirikan menggunakan FTIR, XRD dan mikroskop elektron imbasan (SEM). Tahap penggantian maksimum (DS) yang diperoleh adalah 1.30 dengan hasil sebanyak 177.51% bt. dan ketulenan 89% ditentukan menggunakan kaedah kimia pada keadaan optimum iaitu 30% bt. NaOH, 18 g SMCA, pada 65 °C, tindak balas selama 3 jam dan saiz zarah selulosa-EFB kurang daripada 75 μm. Analisis XRD menunjukkan pengkristalan yang rendah manakala spektrum FTIR mengesahkan struktur CMC dan kehadiran kumpulan berfungsi yang berbeza. Keputusan untuk hasil DS dan EFB CMC yang diperoleh daripada kajian ini jauh lebih tinggi daripada yang pernah dilaporkan. EFB CMC yang disintesis boleh digunakan seterusnya dalam pelbagai industri seperti detergen, perlombongan, pengapungan, serta penggerudian minyak dan gas.

Kata kunci: Karboksimetil selulosa; kelapa sawit; pra-rawatan; selulosa; tandan kosong kelapa sawit

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*Corresponding author; email: noraishah@cheme.utm.my