Extraction and characterization of cellulose from cotton flower burr: a noble cellulose source from agro-waste

Abstract

This work aimed to obtain cellulose from cotton flower burrs, which are often discarded, resulting in resource waste and pollution. The α-cellulose content was 35.21%, determined by the TAPPI standard method. The extraction process consisted of a two-stage chemical pre-treatment and sulfuric acid hydrolysis. The resulting cellulose was then characterized by FTIR, XRD, SEM, Zeta potential, and thermal analysis (TGA). The FTIR results revealed the successful removal of lignin and hemicellulose from the burrs after chemical treatment. The XRD analysis of extracted cellulose represented drastically increased crystallinity in the extracted cellulose and the presence of cellulose I and II. The comparative study of SEM before and after cellulose extraction showed that chemical treatment led to a significant decrease in particle size. The obtained cellulose possessed higher thermal stability than cotton flower burrs. The zeta potential value indicates the high colloidal stability of extracted cellulose. Overall, this study introduces a new low-cost and readily available source for cellulose extraction that would otherwise go to waste.