Background

Biodiesel production using Pongamia pinnata (P. pinnata) seeds results in large amount of unused seed hull. These seed hulls serve as a potential source for cellulose fibres which can be exploited as reinforcement in composites.

Methods

These seed hulls were processed using chlorination and alkaline extraction process in order to isolate cellulose fibres. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) analysis demonstrated the morphological changes in the fibre structure.

Results

Cellulose microfibres of diameter 6–8 µm, hydrodynamic diameter of 58.4 nm and length of 535 nm were isolated. Thermal stability was enhanced by 70 °C and crystallinity index (CI) by 19.8% ensuring isolation of crystalline cellulose fibres.

Conclusion

The sequential chlorination and alkaline treatment stemmed to the isolation of cellulose fibres from P. pinnata seed hull. The isolated cellulose fibres possessed enhanced morphological, thermal, and crystalline properties in comparison with P. pinnata seed hull. These cellulose microfibres may potentially find application as biofillers in biodegradable composites by augmenting their properties.

中文翻译：

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来自生物燃料工业副产品-Pongamia pinnata种子壳的生物纤维。

背景

使用Pongamia pinnata（P. pinnata）种子生产生物柴油会导致大量未使用的种子壳。这些种子壳是纤维素纤维的潜在来源，可被用作复合材料中的增强材料。

方法

这些种子壳使用氯化和碱提取工艺进行处理，以分离纤维素纤维。扫描电子显微镜（SEM），动态光散射（DLS），热重分析（TGA），X射线衍射（XRD），傅里叶变换红外光谱（FTIR）和核磁共振光谱（NMR）分析表明纤维结构。

结果

分离出了直径为6-8 µm，流体力学直径为58.4 nm，长度为535 nm的纤维素微纤维。热稳定性提高了70°C，结晶度指数（CI）提高了19.8％，从而确保了结晶纤维素纤维的分离。

结论

相继进行氯化和碱处理的原因在于，分离了P.pinnata种子壳中的纤维素纤维。与P. pinnata种子壳相比，分离的纤维素纤维具有增强的形态，热和结晶特性。这些纤维素微纤维可能会通过增强其性能而潜在地用作生物可降解复合材料中的生物填充剂。