Cellulose Crystallinity Index Research Articles

Production of furfural and 5-hydroxymethyl furfural from Camellia oleifera fruit shell in [Bmim]HSO4/H2O/1,4-dioxane biphasic medium

The high-value utilization of Camellia oleifera fruit shell (CFS), which is an important waste in edible tea oil processing, is of great significance for the sustainable development of Camellia oleifera industry. In this study, the CFS after being simply pretreated (PCFS) to remove crude fat, pigment, et al., was used as material to produce furfural (FF) and 5-hydroxymethyl furfural (5-HMF) catalyzed by 1-butyl-3-methylimidazole hydrogen sulfate ([Bmim]HSO4). On the basis of comparing the superiority of microwave heating and traditional oil bath heating, on the basis of comparing the in-situ extraction of FF and HMF with four common solvents including 1,4-dioxane, methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK), benzene, and cyclohexane, the [Bmim]HSO4/H2O/1,4-dioxane biphasic catalytic reaction system assisted by microwave irradiation was established. In this reaction system, FF was the chief product and 5-HMF was the chief by-product. The highest yields of FF and 5-HMF were 67.54 mol% and 20.97 mol%, respectively. The yield of FF was much higher than that of 5-HMF under the same reaction conditions. The kinetic analysis indicated that the hemicellulose hydrolysis to xylose catalyzed by [Bmim]HSO4 was the rate-limiting step in the production of FF. The cellulose hydrolysis to glucose and the subsequent isomerization of glucose to fructose were the rate-limiting steps in the production of 5-HMF. The rapid formation of other by-products was also one of the reasons for low yield of 5-HMF. [Bmim]HSO4 still performed excellent stability and catalytic activity after three times of cycles. FF with a purity of 95.26% could be obtained from the 1,4-dioxane phase under vacuum distillation. The relative contents of hemicellulose and cellulose and the crystallinity index of cellulose in PCFS residues decreased with the enhancement of reaction temperature and retention time. The biphasic medium used in this study was efficient for the production of FF from CFS.

Optimization and Characterization of Cellulose Nanocrystal Production from Aseptic Tetra Pak Food Packaging Waste

Cellulose fibers were extracted from the recycled Tetra Pak aseptic food package wastes, and high value-added cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) were produced by the acidic hydrolysis. At the optimum H2SO4 concentration of 25% w, the whiteness index of CNC obtained at 30 °C for 30 min CNC was 84.42%, while it was 56.00% for 50 °C for 60 min CNC. The effects of temperature and time on the hydrolysis yield were optimized by the Central Composite Design and the maximum yield was determined at the condition where the temperature was high and the time was the lowest. The physical and structural properties of different CNCs were investigated using several characterization techniques. The FTIR and TGA analyses of the CNCs obtained at different temperatures and times showed similar spectra and degradation temperatures with each other, respectively. The crystallinity index of alkaline-treated cellulose calculated from the XRD patterns was much lower than those of all of the CNCs. According to AFM measurements and SEM micrographs, it was confirmed that as the temperature and time increased, the diameters of the CNCs were reduced. The lowest diameter value was measured as 175 nm at 50 °C for 60 min CNC, whereas, on the other hand, the highest diameter value was measured as 403 nm at 30 °C for 30 min CNC.

Mesothermal pretreatment using FeCl3 enhances methane production from rice straw

Recovery of bioenergy (CH4) from agricultural waste is often limited by low hydrolysis rate due to its inherent recalcitrance structure. This study reports and demonstrates a new pretreatment strategy to enhance methane production from rice straw (RS). This is achieved by adding a commonly-used chemical, ferric chloride (FeCl3), into RS, followed with 24 h of mixing under mesothermal condition (32 °C). The results showed that the addition of FeCl3 ranging from 1.5 to 12.3 mmol/L effectively destroyed the inherent recalcitrance structure of RS and released more reducing sugar by shaping the chemical composition of the RS and reducing crystallinity index of cellulose. Biochemical methane potential (BMP) tests demonstrated that the pretreated RS at 3.1 mmol FeCl3/L increased the methane production from 10.3 ± 0.2 (i.e. control) to 18.3 ± 0.3 mol CH4/kg VS, indicating a relative increase by 78%. Comprehensive mechanism analyses suggested that the FeCl3 pretreatment improved carbohydrates hydrolysis and stimulated the activity of methanogens during anaerobic digestion. Consequently, the methane yield was significantly increased with decreased lag-phase time in BMP tests, as revealed by the Modified Gompertz model. This study illustrated a cost-effective method of mesothermal FeCl3-based pretreatment to improve methane production from RS.

Change in Micro-Morphology and Micro-Mechanical Properties of Thermally Modified Moso Bamboo.

In recent years, saturated steam heat treatment has been considered as an environmentally friendly and cost-effective modification method compared with traditional heat treatment media. In this study, bamboo was treated by saturated steam, and the change in chemical composition, cellulose crystallinity index, micro-morphology, and micromechanical properties were analyzed by a wet chemistry method, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), nanoindentation, and so on. Results illustrated that the parenchyma cell walls were distorted due to the decomposition of hemicellulose and cellulose in bamboo samples. As expected, the hemicellulose and cellulose content decreased, whereas the lignin content increased significantly. In addition, the cellulose crystallinity index and thus the micromechanical properties of bamboo cell walls increased. For example, the hardness increased from 0.69 GPa to 0.84 GPa owing to the enhanced crystallinity index and lignin content.

Uticaj tretmana netermalnom plazmom na kristaliničnost celuloze i sadržaj lignina u kukuruznoj stabljici

Lignocellulosic biomass is a cheap raw material that, thanks to its high carbohydrate content, can be used in fermentation to produce biofuels, biogas and other compounds. Its complex structure, including cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin, requires prior treatment of the biomass to facilitate hydrolysis to simple sugars. Today, biomass is only partially utilized and generates about 14% of the world's energy. This is because the most commonly used physical, chemical and physicochemical treatments are not sustainable. They are energy-consuming but still low in productivity and toxic inhibitors formed during these treatments could hinder later steps of fermentation. Biomass treatment with advanced oxidation techniques has great potential as an environmentally friendly, so-called "green" treatment. These processes generate reactive species (radicals, electrons, ions and peroxides) that attack cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin components. In this work, the effects of non-thermal plasma, the Fenton process, and the combined treatment of corn stalks with non-thermal plasma/Fenton were compared. Grounded biomass of corn stalks was mixed with Fenton reagent and hydrogen peroxide at different ratios and subjected to non-thermal plasma treatment. Carbohydrate content was decreased in non-thermal plasma treated samples both with and without Fe2+. However, a specific biomass: Fe2+:H2O2 ratio was required to achieve the highest rate of lignocellulose decomposition. The cellulose and hemicellulose fractions were affected and reduced by the treatments studied but resulted in almost no changes in the cellulose crystallinity index. The lower lignin content and cellulose crystallinity allow for more efficient enzyme hydrolysis of the treated lignocellulose and new options for valorization in fermentations.

Microcrystalline cellulose production by acid hydrolysis of hydrotropic rice straw pulp

Rice straw is a by-product of the production of rice. Most of this material is considered as agricultural waste, used only for fodder, left or burned on the fields after harvest. Rice straw contains 35-50% cellulose, making it promising as raw material for microcrystalline cellulose production. The production of microcrystalline cellulose consists of three stages, namely delignification, bleaching, and hydrolysis. Those processes can be conducted at relatively high temperatures by both oven or microwave irradiation. The objective of this study was to compare the performances of those processes (oven and microwave irradiation) by evaluating the cellulose content and the crystallinity index of the microcrystal cellulose. The rice straw pulp was successively pre-treated with hydrotropic delignification and was bleached. Those pretreatments are intended to significantly remove unwanted substances such as lignin, coloring materials, and hemicellulose before the hydrolysis. The hydrotropic delignification was performed using a 20% urea solution with a liquid solids ratio of 1:10 at 80°C for 60 minutes. The bleaching process was carried out at 70°C for 60 minutes using hydrogen peroxide, an environmentally friendly bleaching agent. The hydrolysis was performed using hydrochloric acid and sulphuric acid in an oven for 10 to 50 minutes. The product was analyzed using Chesson-Datta method and FTIR. The FTIR analysis result shows that the highest crystalline cellulose fraction was 63,23%, which was obtained from hydrolysis using 1,5 M sulfuric acid for 50 minutes, the yield content is 55,91%. The same condition using hydrochloric acid resulted in a crystalline cellulose fraction of 60,70% with 59,16% yield content.

Multifactorial effects of gluconic acid pretreatment of waste straws on enzymatic hydrolysis performance

The chemical compositions of lignin, hemicellulose and cellulose are so far unascertained to various lignocellulose in respect to effect of cellulose enzymatic hydrolysis. The novel and environment-friendly gluconic acid (GA) pretreatment technology showed impressive results on the enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose in various agricultural straws. However, only few of the main reasons or critical issues pertaining to this reaction are known. Therefore, the novel GA pretreatment was carried out to remove hemicellulose from the three representative waste straws under different conditions. Next, for the enzymatic hydrolysis of the residual cellulose fraction in the pretreated straws, some mathematical correlations have been investigated between enzyme accessibility, hemicellulose removal rate, and cellulose crystallinity index. Both linear and nonlinear models were compared using five-parameter logic curve, four-parameter logic curve, and Deming regression. Hemicellulose removal was logically ascribed to be the trigger for cellulose saccharification efficiency during GA pretreatment of these waste straws.

Study on Combustion Characteristics and Thermodynamic Parameters of Thermal Degradation of Guinea Grass (Megathyrsus maximus) in N2-Pyrolytic and Oxidative Atmospheres

This study provides an extensive investigation on the kinetics, combustion characteristics, and thermodynamic parameters of the thermal degradation of guinea grass (Megathyrsus maximus) in N2-pyrolytic and oxidative atmospheres. A model-fitting technique and three different iso-conversional techniques were used to investigate the kinetics of the thermal process, after which an analysis of the combustion characteristics and thermodynamic parameters was undertaken. Prior to this, experiments on the physico-chemical characterization, thermogravimetric, and spectroscopic analyses were carried out to provide insight into the compositional structure of the guinea grass. The volatile matter, fixed carbon, and total lignin contents by mass were 73.0%, 16.1%, and 21.5%, respectively, while the higher heating value was 15.46 MJ/kg. The cellulose crystallinity index, determined by XRD, was 0.43. The conversion of the GG in air proceeded at a relatively much higher rate as the maximum mass-loss rate peak in a 20 K/min read was −23.1 and −12.3%/min for the oxidative and the pyrolytic, respectively. The kinetics investigation revealed three distinctive stages of decomposition with their corresponding values of activation energy. The average values of activation energy (FWO) at the latter stages of decomposition in the pyrolytic processes (165 kJ/mol) were higher than those in the oxidative processes (125 kJ/mol)—an indication of the distinctive phenomenon at this stage of the reaction. The Coats–Redfern kinetic model revealed that chemical reactions and diffusional models played a predominant role in the thermal decomposition process of the GG. This study showed that the thermodynamic parameters varied with the conversion ratio, and the combustion performance increased with the heating rates. The use of GG as an energy feedstock is recommended based on the findings from this work.

Determination of the Effects of Superheated Steam on Microstructure and Micromechanical Properties of Bamboo Cell Walls Using Quasi-Static Nanoindentation

In this paper, quasi-static nanoindentation was applied for investigating the influence of superheated steam on microstructure and micromechanical properties of Moso bamboo cell walls. The changes of mico-morphology, chemical composition, cellulose crystallinity index, micro-mechanical properties of bamboo were analyzed via scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), and nanoindentation. As expected, the content of hemicellulose and cellulose showed a downward trend, whereas the relative lignin content increased. Elastic modulus and hardness of the cell wall increased compared with that of the untreated sample. The elastic modulus and hardness of bamboo increased from 11.5 GPa to 19.5 GPa and from 0.35 GPa to 0.59 GPa. Furthermore, results showed that the creep resistance positively correlated to treatment severity.

Performance of Citric Acid-Bonded Oriented Board from Modified Fibrovascular Bundle of Salacca (Salacca zalacca (Gaertn.) Voss) Frond

The fibrovascular bundle (FVB) in palm plants consists of fiber and vascular tissue. Geometrically, it is a long fiber that can be used as an oriented board raw material. This research aimed to examine the performance of citric acid-bonded orientation boards from modified FVB salacca frond under NaOH + Na2SO3 treatment and the bonding mechanism between the modified FVB frond and citric acid. The results showed that changes in the chemical composition of FVB have a positive effect on the contact angle and increase the cellulose crystallinity index. Furthermore, the mechanical properties of the oriented board showed that 1% NaOH + 0.2% Na2SO3 with 60 min immersion has a higher value compared to other treatments. The best dimension stability was on a board with the modified FVB of 1% NaOH + 0.2% Na2SO3 with 30 and 60 min immersion. The bonding mechanism evaluated by FTIR spectra also showed that there is a reaction between the hydroxyl group in the modified FVB and the carboxyl group in citric acid. This showed that the modified combination treatment of NaOH+Na2SO3 succeeded in increasing the mechanical properties and dimensional stability of the orientation board from the FVB salacca frond.

Pretreatment of Lignocellulosic Biomass with 1-Ethyl-3-methylimidazolium Acetate for Its Eventual Valorization by Anaerobic Digestion

This study assessed the breakdown of lignocellulosic biomass (LB) with the ionic liquid (IL) 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate ([Emim][Ac]) as a pretreatment to increase the methane yield. The pretreatment was conducted for wheat straw (WS), barley straw (BS), and grape stem (GS) at 120 °C for 120 min, using several LB to [Emim][Ac] ratios (1:1, 1:3, and 1:5 w/w). Pretreatment significantly disrupted the lignocellulose matrix of each biomass into soluble sugars. GS showed the highest sugar yield, which was followed by WS, while BS was slightly hydrolyzed (175.3 ± 2.3, 158.2 ± 5.2, and 51.1 ± 3.1 mg glucose g–1 biomass, respectively). Likewise, the pretreatment significantly reduced the cellulose crystallinity index (CrI) of the resulting solid fractions of GS and WS by 15% and 9%, respectively, but slightly affected the CrI of BS (5%). Thus, BMP tests were only carried out for raw and hydrothermally and [Emim][Ac] (1:5) pretreated GS and WS. The untreated GS and WS showed similar methane yields to those achieved for the solid fraction obtained after pretreatment with an LB to [Emim][Ac] ratio of 1:5 (219 ± 10 and 368 ± 1 mL CH4 g–1 VS, respectively). The methane production of the solid plus liquid fraction obtained after IL pretreatment increased by 1.61- and 1.34-fold compared to the raw GS and WS, respectively.

Influence of torrefaction on the heating values and energy densities of hardwood and softwood

Lumber manufacturing facilities generate large amounts of wood residues as a by-product of processing. In this study, the torrefaction characteristics of the Cryptomeria japonica and Acacia confusa residues were evaluated and compared to microcrystalline cellulose. The torrefied products also were analyzed. The results showed that the higher heating value (HHV) of the C. japonica and A. confusa residues increased to 5,993 and 5,576 kcal/kg after 20 min of torrefaction at 310 °C, which was higher than the microcrystalline cellulose (4,340 kcal/kg). The energy densification of the torrefied biomass could rise to 1.17 to 1.20 times higher than the raw biomass. The condensable gaseous product was an organic acid liquid. The liquid product consisted of some alkanes, alcohols, esters, and amides. The exothermic temperature would be reduced after torrefaction. Additionally, the thermal treatment of the biomass destroyed the cellulose crystals and reduced the cellulose crystallinity index. In order to reduce the usage of fossil fuels, the torrefied solid biomass could be mixed with coal in power plants directly.

Climate change affects cell‐wall structure and hydrolytic performance of a perennial grass as an energy crop

AbstractPerennial grasses, such as Panicum maximum, are important alternatives to dedicated energy crops for bioethanol production. This study investigates whether future climate conditions could influence P. maximum cell‐wall structure and hydrolytic performance. To analyze interactions with environmental factors in field conditions, a combined Free‐air Temperature and CO2 Controlled Enhancement (Trop‐T‐FACE) facility was used to investigate the isolated and combined effect of elevated atmospheric CO2 concentration (eC) (600 μmol.mol−1) and elevated temperature (eT) by 2 °C more than the ambient temperature, on cell‐wall composition, cellulose crystallinity, accessibility, and hydrolysis yields. The elevated temperature treatments (eT and eT + eC) exhibited the most pronounced effects on the P. maximum cell wall. Warming reduced the starch content and the crystallinity index (CI) of cellulose and increased the cellulose content. Fluorescent protein‐tagged carbohydrate‐binding modules analysis demonstrated that warming improved total cellulose surface exposure/accessibility in eT and eT + eC by 181% and 132%, respectively. Consequently, glucan conversion yields were improved by 7.07% and 5.37%, showing that warming led to lower recalcitrance in P. maximum biomass, which positively affects its use in biorefineries. This work therefore provides important information from an ecological and economic point of view, allowing us to understand the mitigation process applied by this forage grass under future climate conditions. It might assist in selecting tropical forage grasses that are efficiently adapted to climate change, with a positive effect on bioenergy production. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

Determination of the Conservation State of Some Documents Written on Cellulosic Support in the Poni-Cernătescu Museum, Iași City in Romania

An important step in the conservation of old paper documents is the analysis of both the medium and the ink, in an attempt first to determine the extent of deterioration and degradation and then to choose the best preservation and restoration solutions. Our paper focuses on the analysis of three old documents displayed at the ‘Poni-Cernătescu’ Museum in Iaşi City, Romania by optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX), micro-FTIR spectroscopy and FT-Raman. Thus, the morphology and chemical composition of the paper media and the type of ink, as well as the cellulose crystallinity index were determined. PCA (Principal Component Analysis) was also used while relying on spectra collected by FTIR spectroscopy. We were able to determine the extent of degradation of the documents by corroborating all these findings.

Prediction of power of a vibration rod mill during cellulose decrystallization processing by DEM

The crystallinity index of cellulose decrystallized with a vibration rod mill was well correlated with input energy of the vibration rod mill. In order to predict the energy, rod behavior was simulated by discrete element method (DEM).Decrystallization of cellulose was performed using a vibration rod mill to increase the reactivity. The decrystallization speed increased with an increase in the number of rods and the crystallinity index of cellulose after pulverization can be uniquely identified by the input energy [kWh/kg], which is actual power times pulverization time divided by cellulose mass charged into the vibration rod mill. Therefore, the actual power of the vibration rod mill was calculated using DEM simulation, wherein rods were constructed by connecting spherical particles using the multi-sphere method. The coefficients of friction and restitution were determined based on the movement of the rod in the mill cylinder from the experiments. The power calculated agrees with the actual power. This study suggests that the power of the vibration rod mill can be predicted using DEM and that the crystallinity index can be predicted without experimentation.

Determining the Crystallinity Index of Cellulose in Chemically and Mechanically Extracted Banana Fiber for the Synthesis of Nanocellulose

ABSTRACT The aims of this study were to identify the best method of extracting cellulose from lignocellulosic fibers based on crystallinity index in the preparation of nanocellulose. Cellulose fibers were extracted by chemical and mechanical methods from Embul variety (AAB) of banana. The chemically extracted cellulose were developed into nanocellulose using acid hydrolysis, as it showed ahigher crystallinity index (61.7%) in the X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) analysis compared to mechanical extraction (50.8%). The crystallinity index of nanocellulose showed abetter value (70.7%) and Fourier Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) revealed that there are changes of bonding patterns of active groups at different stages of extraction process. Further, the fiber yield is lower in chemical extraction compared to mechanical extraction method. The finding reveals that the method of fiber extraction has great influence on quantity and quality of the cellulosic materials to be used, in commercial utilization.

Improved glucose recovery from durian peel by alkaline-catalyzed steam pretreatment.

Durian (Durio zibethinus Murr.) peel, as agricultural waste, is a potential under-utilized lignocellulosic biomass that is sufficiently available in Thailand. In this study, durian peel from monthong (D. zibethinus Murr. cv. Monthong) and chanee (D.zibethinus Murr. cv. Chanee) were subjected to pretreatment with sodium hydroxide (NaOH) under autoclaving conditions to improve glucose recovery. The effect of NaOH concentration (1%, 2%, 3%, and 4%) and autoclave temperature (110 °C, 120 °C, and 130 °C) was investigated based on the amount of glucose recovered. The optimal NaOH concentration and autoclave temperature were determined to be 2% and 110 °C, respectively, under which maximum glucose (36% and 35% in monthong and chanee peels, respectively) was recovered. Glucose recovery was improved by about 6-fold at the optimal pretreatment condition for both pretreated monthong and chanee when compared to the untreated durian peels. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed great changes to the surface morphology of pretreated durian peel from the two cultivars. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis also revealed a rise in cellulose crystallinity index (CrIs) after pretreatment. A combination of mild NaOH concentration and autoclaving is a very effective pretreatment technique for maximum glucose recovery from durian peel.

Effects of various types of cellulose nanofibers on the physical properties of the CNF-based films

Cellulose-based films using three different types of cellulose nanofibers (CNFs), carboxymethylated CNF (CNFCM), enzyme-treated CNF (CNFENZ), TEMPO-oxidized CNF (CNFTEMPO), and sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) were prepared using a solution casting method, and their film properties were characterized to test the effect of CNF types. FE-SEM image showed the densely packed fibers in the film with different fiber shapes depending on the CNF types, while the AFM image showed the roughness of the films. The CNFTEMPO film was as transparent as the CMC film, while the other CNF films were translucent. The CNF films also showed different crystalline structures depending on the CNF types, so the film properties were greatly influenced by the cellulose crystallinity index (CI). The CNFENZ film with the highest CI showed higher thermal stability and water vapor barrier properties than the other films. Also, the water vapor permeability of CNF films was significantly lower than the CMC film. The carboxylate and carboxymethyl groups in the CNFTEMPO and CNFCM films increased the tensile strength, which was about two times higher than that of the CNFENZ and CMC films. The CNF film properties depended on the CNF type and were comparable or superior to the CMC film.

Cellulose Microfibers from Salacca Midrib Fiber Isolated by the Mechanical Treatment

Salacca midrib fibers are abundant natural waste in Turi, Sleman Regency, Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta. Cellulose Microfibers from the salacca midrib fiber has been isolated by mechanical treatment and successfully has good physical characteristics. Cellulose fibers with micro sizes can strengthen the bond effect between the matrix and the fiber due to the vast contact area. The method for isolated cellulose microfibers by mechanical treatment for speed rotation of 5000, 10000 and 15000 rpm. Mechanical stirrer treatment aims to fibrillation and reduces fiber dimensions because of their high rotation. The characterization by XRD, FTIR, and SEM. The XRD results showed that the mechanical stirrer treatment did not damage the crystallinity index of cellulose microfibers. The crystallinity index of the raw material is 64.3%, increased to 79.1% for the microfiber cellulose crystallinity index. Identification of functional groups using FTIR did not show changes in cellulose compounds resulting from mechanical treatment. Morphological observation of fibers by SEM shows that the diameter cellulose microfibers size obtained from salacca midrib fiber ranges 5-10 µm with 100-300 µm in length. Cellulose microfibers have potential materials as reinforcement in the micro composite and extraction into nanocellulose materials.

Green Synthesis of Copper Nanoparticles Using Cotton.

Copper nanoparticles (CuNP) were obtained by a green synthesis method using cotton textile fibers and water as solvent, avoiding the use of toxic reducing agents. The new synthesis method is environmentally friendly, inexpensive, and can be implemented on a larger scale. This method showed the cellulose capacity as a reducing and stabilizing agent for synthetizing Cellulose–Copper nanoparticles (CCuNP). Nanocomposites based on CCuNP were characterized by XRD, TGA, FTIR and DSC. Functional groups present in the CCuNP were identified by FTIR analysis, and XRD patterns disclosed that nanoparticles correspond to pure metallic Cu°, and their sizes are at a range of 13–35 nm. Results demonstrated that CuNPs produced by the new method were homogeneously distributed on the entire surface of the textile fiber, obtaining CCuNP nanocomposites with different copper wt%. Thus, CuNPs obtained by this method are very stable to oxidation and can be stored for months. Characterization studies disclose that the cellulose crystallinity index (CI) is modified in relation to the reaction conditions, and its chemical structure is destroyed when nanocomposites with high copper contents are synthesized. The formation of CuO nanoparticles was confirmed as a by-product, through UV spectroscopy, in the absorbance range of 300–350 nm.