FABRICATION OF CELLULOSE MICROSPHERES FROM MODIFIED COTTON LINTER AND OIL PALM TRUNK FIBRE VIA EMULSION METHOD

Abstract

In this study, cellulose microspheres from modified cotton linter (CL) and oil palm trunk fibre (OPTF) were fabricated by using simple emulsion method. The cellulose was obtained from the CL and OPTF through the alkaline pre-treatment and acid hydrolysis processes. The emulsion method was performed using polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as an emulsifying agent. The characterization of the cellulose from CL and OPTF were analysed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), and the morphological characterizations of cellulose microspheres were later observed under optical microscopy (OM) and field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). Based on the results, FTIR spectra displayed the lignin and hemicellulose had removed after treatments, while XRD revealed that the crystallinity index of OPTF and CL was increased after the treatments. The microspheres, formed with different ranges of size between 80 to 150 μm under OM and FESEM, showed the formation of pores on the surface of the microspheres.