Preparation of Microcrystalline Cellulose by Liquefaction of Eucalyptus Sawdust in Ethylene Glycol Catalyzed by Acidic Ionic Liquid

Abstract

Microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) was prepared from the residue of the incomplete liquefaction of eucalyptus sawdust; atmospheric liquefaction was carried out using ethylene glycol as the solvent and 1-(4-sulfobutyl)-3-methylimidazolium hydrosulfate as the catalyst. The highest cellulose content in the residue reached 93.9%. The MCC prepared from liquefaction was characterized by various techniques, which included infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, thermo-gravimetric analysis, and scanning electron microscopy. The results were compared to those of a commercial MCC (cotton linters). The analyses indicated that hemicelluloses and lignin were removed extensively from the MCC produced from the sawdust. The MCC was a cellulose I polymorph with 79.0% crystallinity. The particles were shaped as elongated rods and had good thermal stability. The particle sizes of the produced MCC ranged from 1 µm to 100 µm with a mean of 38.6 µm.

The Role of Ionic Liquids on Biomass Liquefaction—A Short Review of the Recent Advances

“…With smaller liquefaction yields 43-75%, Wu and co-workers [7] studied a similar type of biomass, Eucalyptus grandis sawdust obtained from a wood processing factory, with higher cellulose percentage (47.9% cellulose, 71.2% holocellulose, 27.1% Klason lignin and 0.29% ash) to obtain microcrystalline cellulose (MCC). The authors used 10 g of sawdust and 80 g of ethylene glycol with different catalyst amounts, [SO 3 Hbmim][HSO 4 ] (0.1-0.3 mmol•g −1 ), temperatures ranging between 140 and 180 • C and reaction times between 15 and 90 min.…”

An Overview of Recent Developments in Hetero-Catalytic Conversion of Cellulosic Biomass

“…Typically, sulfuric acid (Camacho et al, 1996) and hydrochloric acid (Zhao et al, 2018) have been used as catalysts in conventional acid hydrolysis processes for MCC production. Recently, acidic ionic liquids have been used as catalysts for MCC production (Wu et al, 2017). Despite the good catalytic activities of mineral acids (H2SO4 and HCl), utilization is limited due to their corrosivity and costly processing being required for separation and disposal of the used acidic catalysts (Hara, 2010).…”

Jute Stick-Derived Cellulose-Based Hydrogel: Synthesis, Characterization, and Methylene Blue Removal from Aqueous Solution

“…According to the size and shape, there are two types of cellulose: microcrystalline cellulose and nanocrystal cellulose. The microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) material has the potential to be used in a variety of applications. − Efforts have been made to isolate the crystalline form of microcrystalline cellulose from raw materials such as bamboo, sugar beet pulp, cereal straw, etc. , Microcrystalline cellulose-based biocomposites are currently being investigated as a viable alternative to conventional polymeric composites. − It has some qualities such as cost effectiveness, high performance, durability, and fully sustainable technology to satisfy the consumer. These materials must be reliable, cheap, and economically viable and can show advanced performances and adaptable properties that can be used in the automotive, medical, building, and aerospace sectors .…”

“…The microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) material has the potential to be used in a variety of applications. 17 − 19 Efforts have been made to isolate the crystalline form of microcrystalline cellulose from raw materials such as bamboo, sugar beet pulp, cereal straw, etc. 20 , 21 Microcrystalline cellulose-based biocomposites are currently being investigated as a viable alternative to conventional polymeric composites.…”