Extraction and Characterization of Microcrystalline Cellulose from Date Palm Fibers using Successive Chemical Treatments

Abstract

The aim of present study is to extract microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) from fruit bunch branches fibers of Algerian date palm trees (phoenix dactylifera L) as biofiber for reinforcing green composite and thus replace synthetic fibers in various applications. The extraction of MCC from date palm fibers passed via serial chemical treatments, including alkali, bleaching and acid hydrolysis process. Subsequently, several analyses were implemented to determine the characteristics of each sample prepared at different stages of treatment. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis revealed the effectiveness in removing substantial amorphous components of lignin and hemicellulose from date palm fibers. Altered and irregular shaped morphology of microfibrils with slightly rougher surface was observed for microcrystalline date palm fibers (MCC-DP) through scanning electron microscope (SEM) examination. Furthermore, X-ray diffraction (XRD) presents the increasing of the crystallinity from 55% in raw date palm (R-DP) to 76.26% in MCC-DP. Also, the results of TGA and DSC indicate the MCC-DP has greater thermal stability than that of R-DP, A-DP and B-DP fibers. These results demonstrate the feasibility of using date palm waste (fruit bunch branches fibers) to extract a good reinforcing material (MCC) with high properties and low cost, which qualifies its use in composite materials. Also, it can be transformed into nano-scale for isolating nanocrystalline cellulose with the aim of using it, in the future to produce ecofriendly bionanocomposites in different fields of applications, biomedical, pharmaceutical and packaging.