Production and Characterization of Microcrystalline Cellulose from Oil Palm Trunk Waste (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) from Plantation Replanting

Abstract

Microcrystalline cellulose is a derivative of cellulose or cellulose that is modified on a micro scale with a length of about 10-200 µm which is crystalline. Oil palm trunks can be used as an alternative for the production of microcrystalline cellulose. This study aims to obtain microcrystalline cellulose from oil palm trunks and determine the characteristics of each stage of treatment. The obtained microcrystalline cellulose with cellulose content was successfully increased from 31.11 ± 2.01% to 84.35 ± 1.04%, this was in accordance with the FTIR absorption peak group and along with the decrease in lignin and hemicellulose content. XRD analysis showed an increase in the crystallinity of MCC up to 78% after going through the chemical treatment stage. The SEM results obtained MCC with a length and width of 43.2 ± 19.6 m and 11.4 ± 8.1 m and showed the breakdown of complex components in the raw fiber of oil palm trunk which was described by the structure of the surface becoming smoother and shaped. regular fibrils. Based on the results of this study, the process of delignification, bleaching, and acid hydrolysis gradually succeeded in producing microcrystalline cellulose from oil palm trunks.