Extraction of cellulose and preparation of nano-cellulose from sisal fibers

JUAN MORÁN; VERA ALVAREZ; VIVIANA CYRAS; ANALÍA VÁZQUEZ

CELLULOSE (LONDON)

Año: 2008 vol. 15 p. 149 - 159

0969-0239

In this work a study on the feasibility of extracting cellulose from sisal fibers, using different procedures was done.  Several step processes included acid hydrolysis, chlorination, alkaline extraction, and bleaching. The obtained cellulose was characterized by thermogravimetry (TGA), infrarred spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electronic microscopy (SEM).  The FTIR spectra obtained were characteristic of cellulose, fact that indicated the feasibility of using this process to eliminate non-cellulosic material such as lignin and hemicelluloses.  Nanocellulose was produced by the acid hydrolysis of cellulose and it was characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM).  Advantages and disadvantages of both procedures were analyzed.