Isolation and Characterization of Nanocrystalline Cellulose Isolated from Pineapple Crown Leaf Fiber Agricultural Wastes Using Acid Hydrolysis

Abstract

Pineapple crown leaf fiber (PCLF) is one of the major biomass wastes from pineapple processing plants. It consists mostly of carbohydrate polymers, such as cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. It can be further processed to form a more valuable and widely used nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC). This study investigates the effect of hydrolysis time on the properties of the produced NCC. The acid hydrolysis was conducted using 1 M of sulfuric acid at hydrolysis times of 1–3 h. The resulting NCCs were then characterized by their morphology, functional groups, crystallinity, thermal stability, elemental composition, and production yield. The results show that the NCC products had a rod-like particle structure and possessed a strong cellulose crystalline structure typically found in agricultural fiber-based cellulose. The highest NCC yield was obtained at 79.37% for one hour of hydrolysis. This NCC also displayed a higher decomposition temperature of 176.98 °C. The overall findings suggest that PCLF-derived NCC has attractive properties for a variety of applications.

Optimization of Biocomposite Film Based on Whey Protein Isolate and Nanocrystalline Cellulose from Pineapple Crown Leaf Using Response Surface Methodology

“…Glycerol, sodium hydroxide (NaOH), hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ), and sulfuric acid (H 2 SO 4 ) were obtained from Merck (Darmstadt, Germany). The NCC was prepared from the isolation of pineapple crown leaf waste using the acid hydrolysis method according to the protocol established earlier [ 22 ].…”

“…The pineapple crown leaf (PCL) waste was first washed and dried as illustrated in Figure 1 . Pre-chemical treatment and hydrolysis were used to isolate the NCC according to a method reported earlier [ 22 ]. Firstly, the dried PCL was ground and sieved under 40 mesh.…”

“…Due to its sustainability, availability, lightness, large surface area, and high mechanical strength, nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) has attracted a great deal of interest as a potential nano-reinforcement for WPI-based films [ 18 , 21 ]. NCC is a nanometer-sized crystal particle produced as a stable aqueous colloidal suspension and is typically isolated from cellulose sources through acid hydrolysis [ 22 ]. Isolation of NCC was reported from different sources such as sugarcane baggases [ 21 ], rice straw [ 23 ], kenaf bast [ 24 ], conorcapus fiber [ 25 ], walnut shell [ 26 ], and pineapple crown leaf [ 22 ].…”

“…NCC is a nanometer-sized crystal particle produced as a stable aqueous colloidal suspension and is typically isolated from cellulose sources through acid hydrolysis [ 22 ]. Isolation of NCC was reported from different sources such as sugarcane baggases [ 21 ], rice straw [ 23 ], kenaf bast [ 24 ], conorcapus fiber [ 25 ], walnut shell [ 26 ], and pineapple crown leaf [ 22 ].…”

“…Pineapple is a common fruit which is widely used as a source of food production. The global market for pineapple and its products has shown a significant increase [ 22 ]. Annually, pineapple processing generates 3 billion tons of by-products such as pineapple crown leaf, which causes environmental issues [ 27 ].…”