Acid Hydrolysis Process of Mengkuang Cellulose

Abstract

Cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) are involved in many applications due to their unique properties. Thus, the understanding hydrolysis process help to control the preparation conditions and the chemical reactions during the different uses. Cellulose from mengkuang leaves (Pandanus tectorius) was used in this research to prepare CNC. Sulfuric acid (H2SO4 60 wt.%) hydrolysis was carried out over different times to produce the nanocrystals. The effects of hydrolysis time on the morphology, chemical structure, and crystallinity index of CNC were examined using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The degradation process is dependent on the time of hydrolysis and the crystalline domains of cellulose fibers. The process starts by expanding the cellulose chains. FTIR results showed that no change in the chemical structure of the nanocrystals during the hydrolysis reaction. The results demonstrated that the optimum hydrolysis time to produce cellulose nanocrystals from mengkuang cellulose, with a crystallinity index of about 74% and aspect ratio of 15, was 45 min at 45 °C using 60 wt% H2SO4.