Cellulose from lignocellulosic biomass: Extraction and characterization

Abstract

The objective of this work is to isolate and characterize the cellulose from lignocellulosic biomass using alkali hydrolysis and bleaching process. The cellulose was extracted from lignocellulosic biomass by using alkali hydrolysis followed by bleaching process. The alkali hydrolysis was done at different concentrations of NaOH (3 – 5%). The obtained cellulose was characterized by using X-ray diffraction (XRD) for crystallinity, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for microstructural analysis and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) for understanding the secondary structural changes that undergoes during the extraction process. The yield of cellulose was higher at 4% NaOH concentration and was 26.7%. The SEM images showed that with the removal of non-cellulosic components the cellulose shows rough surface with fibrillation. The XRD analysis showed that the cellulose had higher crystallinity than the raw powder. The FTIR data confirmed the removal of lignin and hemicellulosic contents from the biomass after alkali treatment and bleaching process. The cellulose obtained from this study can be further used for different food applications such as in packaging films, structural modifiers, stabilizers, texture modifiers and for designing functional foods by changing the colloidal state of cellulose.