Tailoring adsorbent cellulose beads of microcrystalline cellulose derived from oil palm empty fruit bunch

• Published in: Polymer Bulletin
• Main Author: Madihah A.M.H.; Hassan N.A.A.; Haafiz M.K.M.; Abu F.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH 2024
• Online Access: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85187914397&doi=10.1007%2fs00289-024-05214-z&partnerID=40&md5=90434b8580680d7dcfbe37c959929cd2

This study aims to investigate the potential benefits of utilizing oil palm trees as reinforcement in polymeric substances. Extracting microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) fibers from oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) waste, prevalent in Malaysia's extensive plantation fields as the world's second-largest oil palm producer, presents an opportunity to utilize abundant waste resources. To produce cellulose beads from these natural fibers, it was imperative to analyze their chemical composition, microstructural behavior, and adsorption rate. Initially, MCC was dissolved in ionic liquid to extract cellulose beads from OPEFB. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was employed to characterize molecular bonds, adsorption properties, and their correlations within the fiber structure. X-ray diffraction analysis was tested to see the crystallographic structure and chemical composition of the beads. Scanning electron microscopy was utilized to examine the surface morphology of the fibers. Adsorption properties was evaluated using Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analysis, water absorption test and moisture content were used to investigate the adsorptibility rate of cellulose beads. The results demonstrate that dissolving MCC into ionic liquid from OPEFB yields high-quality cellulose beads at 9% of MCC loading, presenting a promising avenue for the development of novel polymeric materials for wastewater filtration applications due to the highest pore size obtained with 15.35 nm and 15.35% of water absorption rate, © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2024.