VALUE ADDED MATERIAL FROM PALM TREE WASTES: CELLULOSE EXTRACTION AND PURIFICATION
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Date
2026-02-22
Authors
Abu Laila, Samah
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Publisher
An-Najah National University
Abstract
In this study, a method of extracting cellulose fiber from the biomass of palm tree and subsequently converting it to cellulose acetate was developed. Cellulose in fiber form was extracted from palm tree waste by a process that involved two steps kraft cooking and bleaching with a multistep sequence. In the kraft cooking the palm tree waste was cut into chips with about 1 cm thickness and suspended in a solution of sodium sulfide and sodium hydroxide with various concentrations. The bleaching sequence involved treating the extracted cellulose with sodium hypochlorite, sodium hypochlorite and hydrogen peroxide. Cellulose in fiber form was obtained in about 26.2% yield. The obtained cellulosic fiber has a round morphology as was shown by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Weight average molecular weight (Mw) and number average molecule weight (Mn) of extracted cellulose were determined by Size Exclusion chromatography to be 71KD and 52KD with polydispersity of 1.37. Sugar analysis showed high cellulose purity with about 92%. The resulting cellulose was transformed into cellulose acetate through a heterogeneous process involving treatment with acetic anhydride in an acetic acid medium, using sulfuric acid as a catalyst. The obtained cellulose acetate was subjected to comprehensive characterization using a range of spectroscopic and analytical techniques, including Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and Size exclusion chromatography (SEC) viscometry and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). This study concludes that biowaste from palm trees is a significant source for producing valuable polymer cellulose and related derivatives. This result underscores the potential for transforming agricultural waste into valuable cellulose materials and their respective derivatives.