Microcrystalline Cellulose from Fruit Bunch Stalk of Date Palm: Isolation and Characterization

Present study deals with the extraction and isolation of microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) from date palm fruit bunch stalk (DPFS) of date palm tree (Phoenix dactylifera L.) through integrated chemical method. To facilitate comparative study, each DPFS-treated, DPFS-pulp and DPFS-MCC samples were produced through respective bleaching, alkaline and acid hydrolysis treatments. The obtained samples were characterized in aspects of structural, morphological, elemental, crystallinity and thermal properties. From physicochemical analysis, fourier transform infrared ray (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) showed the improved cellulose crystalline structure from DPFS-treated to DPFS-MCC. Morphology analysis revealed that the isolated DPFS-pulp and DPFS-MCC samples had microfibrillar structure, which achieved through the fibre disintegration by a series of chemical treatments. Moreover, the rigidity was also found the highest for isolated DPFS-MCC with 79.4% crystallinity degree. Further, the DPFS-MCC sample manifested better thermal properties for its high weight loss (84.15%), low residual weight (15.44%) and high decomposition temperature (364.2 °C) compared to the other fibre samples. Also, the DSC analysis showed the thermal behaviour which is in line with the thermal decomposition of those fibre samples. Therefore, in view of the overall result, the isolated DPFS-MCC could act as potential filler for reinforcing polymeric materials in composite field of applications.