FABRICATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF MICROCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE FROM SENGON WOOD SAWDUST

Abstract

Sengon wood sawdust is a wood industry waste the quantity of which is increasing because of the high market demand
of the wood. This condition demands innovation in waste processing. Microcrystalline cellulose is pure cellulose
obtained from the hydrolysis of α-cellulose. This research aims to fabricate and characterize microcrystalline cellulose
from Sengon wood sawdust. The initial stage was carried out to break lignocellulose bonds through the delignification
process using 2% NaOH, followed by hydrolysis of α-cellulose with 4N HCl (1:40) at 80 °C. This acid treatment aims
to obtain a crystalline form of cellulose by removing the amorphous part. SEM micrographs show a smooth surface
with few holes and spherical fibers. XRD analysis revealed the cellulose type I structure of MCC with a crystallinity
index of 33.8% due to acid hydrolysis treatment. Chemical treatment causes the loss of the hemicelluloses and lignin,
as confirmed from the FT-IR analysis results, and higher thermal stability of microcrystalline cellulose, as found by the
DSC analysis.

Keywords: characterization, fabrication, microcrystalline cellulose, Sengon wood sawdust, waste treatment