Abstract

The purpose of the study is to investigate the utilisation of Napier fiber (Pennisetum purpureum) as a source for the fabrication of cellulose nanofibers (CNF). In this study, cellulose nanofibers (CNF) from Napier fiber were isolated via ball-milling assisted by acid hydrolysis. Acid hydrolysis with different molarities (1.0, 3.8 and 5.6 M) was performed efficiently facilitate cellulose fiber size reduction. The resulting CNFs were characterised through Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), particle size analyser (PSA), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The FTIR results demonstrated that there were no obvious changes observed between the spectra of the CNFs with different molarities of acid hydrolysis. With 5.6 M acid hydrolysis, the XRD analysis displayed the highest degree of CNF crystallinity at 70.67%. In a thermal analysis by TGA and DTG, cellulose nanofiber with 5.6 M acid hydrolysis tended to produce cellulose nanofibers with higher thermal stability. As evidenced by the structural morphologies, a fibrous network nanostructure was obtained under TEM and AFM analysis, while a compact structure was observed under FESEM analysis. In conclusion, the isolated CNFs from Napier-derived cellulose are expected to yield potential to be used as a suitable source for nanocomposite production in various applications, including pharmaceutical, food packaging and biomedical fields.

Highlights

  • The fibers of Napier grass, commonly known as Pennisetum purpureum (PP), are made up of46% cellulose, 34% hemicellulose, and 20% lignin [1]

  • The infrared spectral features revealed that there were no. These results indicate anthe increase in thegroups crystallinity indexnanofibers (CrI) owing the increase in distinct changes observed among functional of cellulose of to different molarity the acid acid hydrolysis molarities, as stated authors

  • Cellulose nanofibers were isolated from Napier fibers via ball milling and acid hydrolysis at different molarities

Read more

Summary

Introduction

The fibers of Napier grass, commonly known as Pennisetum purpureum (PP), are made up of. 46% cellulose, 34% hemicellulose, and 20% lignin [1]. Materials 2020, 13, 4125 of nutrients for growth. In order to eliminate impurities and non-cellulosic material, an alkaline treatment was implemented in most studies, using sodium hydroxide (NaOH) (4–20%) with 1–5 h of continuous stirring. Eliana et al reported that Napier fibers with alkaline pre-treatment yielded the highest percentages of lowering sugars and ethanol [3]. It was reported that the delignification of Napier grass was carried out by alkaline treatment with different concentration from 0.5 to 10.5 wt.%, resulting in 80.59% cellulose and removal of 93.78%

Objectives
Results
Conclusion
Full Text
Published version (Free)

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call