Preparation and Characterization of Cellulose Nanofibers from Banana Pseudostem by Acid Hydrolysis: Physico-Chemical and Thermal Properties
Mohammad Sobri Merais,
Nozieana Khairuddin,
Mohd Harfiz Salehudin,
Md. Bazlul Mobin Siddique,
Philip Lepun,
Wong Sie Chuong
Affiliations
Mohammad Sobri Merais
Department of Science and Technology, Faculty of Humanities, Management and Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia Bintulu Sarawak Campus, Bintulu 97008, Malaysia
Nozieana Khairuddin
Department of Science and Technology, Faculty of Humanities, Management and Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia Bintulu Sarawak Campus, Bintulu 97008, Malaysia
Mohd Harfiz Salehudin
Department of Bioprocess and Polymer Engineering, School of Chemical and Energy Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Skudai 81310, Malaysia
Md. Bazlul Mobin Siddique
Faculty of Engineering, Computing and Science, Swinburne University of Technology Kuching, Kuching 93050, Malaysia
Philip Lepun
Department of Forestry Science, Faculty of Agricultural Science and Forestry, Universiti Putra Malaysia Bintulu Sarawak Campus, Bintulu 97000, Malaysia
Wong Sie Chuong
Department of Science and Technology, Faculty of Humanities, Management and Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia Bintulu Sarawak Campus, Bintulu 97008, Malaysia
Cellulose is a biopolymer that may be derived from a variety of agricultural wastes such as rice husks, wheat straw, banana, and so on. Cellulose fibril that is reduced in size, often known as nanocellulose (NC), is a bio-based polymer with nanometer-scale widths with a variety of unique properties. The use of NC as a reinforcing material for nanocomposites has become a popular research issue. This research paper focuses on the production of banana pseudostem cellulose nanofiber. Nano-sized fiber was obtained from banana pseudostem through several processes, namely, grinding, sieving, pre-treatment, bleaching, and acid hydrolysis. The product yield was found to be 40.5% and 21.8% for Musa acuminata and Musa balbisiana, respectively, by the weight of the raw fiber. The reduction in weight was due to the removal of hemicellulose and lignin during processing. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis showed that the average fiber size decreased from 180 µm to 80.3 ± 21.3 nm. Finally, FTIR analysis showed that the fibers experienced chemical changes after the treatment processes.