Characterization of cellulose fiber isolated from oil palm frond biomass

Oil palm frond (OPF) is one of the major oil palm biomass from agricultural waste. It can be potential to be valorised into cellulose. Cellulose can be extracted from natural fibers, which environmentally sustainable products. The aim of this work is to extract cellulose from oil palm frond biomass by two different treatments: (i) extraction cellulose fiber using pressure and (ii) extraction cellulose fiber non-pressure. The fibers were chemically treated with various concentrations of alkaline solution. Subsequently, the properties of raw material and cellulose were determined by utilizing X-ray diffraction (XRD) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The functional group of raw material and cellulose microfibers of palm-based lignocellulosic biomass were determined using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), morphological studies were viewed using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). According to the experimental analysis, the results of the chemical compositions revealed that the alkaline treatments were under-pressure and non-pressure able to remove a large fraction of lignin and hemicelluloses compared to non-alkaline treatment. The extraction condition at 150 degrees C using 15 wt.% NaOH under 7 bar pressure showed the highest content and high crystallinity of alpha-cellulose fibers. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.