Properties of nanocrystalline cellulose from pineapple crown leaf waste

Abstract Nanocrystalline cellulose was extracted from pineapple crown leaf as agricultural waste. Nanocrystalline cellulose was successfully extracted using chemical treatments followed by acid hydrolysis using sulfuric acid. Hydrolysis of pineapple crown leaf was carried out by using different hydrolysis time while maintaining acid concentration and temperature. The properties of nanocrystalline cellulose were obtained such % yield, moisture content, crystallinity index (CrI) and functional group present were studied. The yield shown a comparable result regardless of different reaction time of hydrolysis. While Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) showed the progressive removal of non-cellulose content and showed the cellulose molecular structure remains unchanged with the reaction time. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed that the crystallinity increased linearly with increasing hydrolysis time. The result showed potential of pineapple crown leaf to be used in nanocrystalline cellulose synthesis process and optimum hydrolysis time was determined based on the properties of nanocrystalline cellulose.