Efficiency of Different Acetylation Methods Applied to Cellulose Fibers Waste from Pulp and Paper Mill Sludge

Abstract

In this study, the viability of acetylation in cellulose fibers waste (CFW) from pulp and paper mill sludge was investigated in comparison to bleached cellulose fibers (BCF). Four acetylation methodologies were applied. The inorganic ash composition of the CFW was determined by Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectrometry (EDS). The Degree of substitution (DS) of the acetylated fibers and their characterization using Fourier Transformed Infrared (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and Scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) were carried out. Results showed that the different acetylation methods are not effective for the esterification of CFW largely due to a high mineral content in their composition. The acetylation promoted the removal of the inorganic content in the CFW resulting in low efficacy levels. In BCF, higher efficiency levels were achieved, varying according to the methods. The different acetylation methods showed an efficiency range from 0.02 to 1.76 depending on the type of fiber.

Keywords

• esterification
• chemical modification
• surface chemistry
• cellulose acetate
• recovered cellulose fibers