Investigation of cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) from Macaranga hypoleucha pulp in chemical treatment phase

Abstract

Abstract Macaranga sp. is one of the alternative sources of wood fibers in pulp and paper industries. It can produce pulp with high strength which is classified as long wood fibers. Based on these characters, cellulose derived from Macaranga sp. trees has potentials as a raw material for production of cellulose nanofibers (CNFs). The principles of fabrication of CNFs are separation and purification. In this work, non-mechanical treatment was used to produce CNFs with diameters of 340 nm. Macaranga hypoleuca pulp was successfully prepared using the combined procedures (i.e. pretreatment, alkali treatment, and acid hydrolysis). Each fabrication step has effects on characters of the fibers. Morphology and fiber properties were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy (chemical component analysis), and X-ray diffraction (XRD).