Thermal Gravimetric Analysis (Tga) of Kenaf Core and Its Cellulose for Membrane Fabrication

Abstract

Membranes can be fabricated using three main materials, namely solvent, polymer, and additives. The function of the solvent is to dissolve the polymer so it becomes homogenous with another material that is required to form the membrane layer. Various types of additives can be used to enhance the surface of the membrane layer. Examples of commonly used additives in membrane are polyethylene glycol (PEG), monosodium glutamates, sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone), and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). However, these are synthetic additives; therefore, there is a need to search for a sustainable organic additive that would be greener for the environment, such as cellulose from suitable plants. In this study, cellulosic material was extracted from kenaf core, to be used as the organic additive for membrane formation. In order to investigate the suitability of this material, thermal gravimetric analyses (TGA) were performed in two parts. The first TGA was done on the kenaf core to determine the amount of cellulose that can be extracted from it. Then, a second TGA was done on a sample of the extracted cellulose to determine its weight and quantified loss of water, loss of solvent, loss of plasticizer, decarboxylation, pyrolysis, oxidation, decomposition, weight % filler, amount of metallic catalytic residue remaining on carbon nanotubes, and weight percentage of ash. TGA results on cellulose from kenaf core have shown that the crystalline melt was defined by the peak temperature at 333.07 °C. After the melt transition, the baseline had returned to a slightly lower position than the premelt baseline. The slope of the post-melt baseline had changed as the sample began to decompose. Meanwhile, TGA has extrapolated the onset temperature to 421.61 °C as the sample decomposes.