Estimation of crystallinity and crystallite size of cellulose in benzylated fibres of oil palm empty fruit bunches by X-ray diffraction

Benzylated fibre (BzF) was produced from fibres of oil palm empty fruit bunches (EFBs) using benzyl chloride in an etherification reaction for 2 h at two reaction temperatures, 100 degreesC and 110 degreesC. Estimates based on X-ray diffraction data show decreases of approximately 15 and 17%, respectively, in the crystallinity of cellulose, and 36 and 54% in the size of crystallites cellulose in the BzF(100 degreesC) and BzF(110 degreesC) samples. This indicates a greater effect on crystallite size than on crystallinity because the conversion of sonic crystalline cellulose in the crystallite domain into an amorphous state is accompanied by the breakage of the crystallite domain into smaller sizes. Furthermore, the results also indicate that the increase of reaction temperature from 100 degreesC to 110 degreesC results in a larger change in crystallite size than in crystallinity.