SYNTHESIS, CHARACTERIZATION AND DYE REMOVAL PROPERTIES OF CELLULOSE NANOCRYSTALS EMBEDDED NATURAL RUBBER LATEX COMPOSITE

Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) were prepared from bleached wood pulp by the acid hydrolysis method. CNCs were characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD). Natural rubber latex was oxidised using potassium permanganate. The oxidation of latex was confirmed using FTIR and UV-Visible Spectroscopy. Natural rubber latex composites were prepared using the as-prepared CNCs in two different weight percentages. Mechanical studies and microscopy analysis proved that the incorporation of CNCs into NR latex improved all the properties. Due to the presence of surface hydroxyl groups of CNCs, which can be exchanged with almost any contaminant ions present in water, the developed materials can be utilized for water purification. The composites effectively removed 92%, 79% and 67%, respectively, of basic dyes such as Victoria blue BO, Methyl violet 10B and Holacryl pink FG. The dye removal can be explained by the electrostatic attraction between the negatively charged CNCs and the positively charged dyes.