Abstract

The environmentally friendly nature of natural cellulose, as well as its excellent crystallinity and mechanical properties, have piqued researchers' interest. In this study, date palm seeds as agricultural waste generated abundantly every year in the Gulf region were used as a raw material to extract crystalline nanocellulose. Dewaxing, alkali treatment, bleaching, and acid hydrolysis were used in a stepwise treatment approach to remove nanocellulose from seeds. The amorphous phase of the biopolymer had been successfully removed, according to the FT-IR analysis of the obtained cellulose. Sodium chlorite bleaching provided the highest degree of crystallinity, with a crystallinity index of 72.49%. The nanocellulose exhibited a bimodal distribution at 43–78 nm and 190-458 nm using particle size analysis. An agglomerated and irregular semi-spherical crystalline cellulose structure was revealed by SEM analysis. Nano spheres of 20–100 nm dispersed within the amorphous matrix of the cellulose was observed in one of the samples using TEM analysis. The extractable crystalline cellulose displayed good thermal stability. Date-derived crystalline nanocellulose has promising properties and could be used in several industrial and domestic applications.

摘要

天然纤维素的环保特性，以及其优异的结晶度和机械性能，引起了研究人员的兴趣。本研究以海湾地区每年大量产生的农业废弃物枣椰树种子为原料，提取结晶纳米纤维素。在逐步处理方法中使用脱蜡、碱处理、漂白和酸水解从种子中去除纳米纤维素。根据获得的纤维素的 FT-IR 分析，生物聚合物的无定形相已成功去除。亚氯酸钠漂白的结晶度最高，结晶度指数为72.49%。使用粒度分析，纳米纤维素在 43-78 nm 和 190-458 nm 处呈现双峰分布。SEM 分析揭示了团聚和不规则的半球形结晶纤维素结构。使用 TEM 分析在其中一个样品中观察到 20-100 nm 的纳米球分散在纤维素的无定形基质中。可提取的结晶纤维素显示出良好的热稳定性。枣衍生的结晶纳米纤维素具有良好的性能，可用于多种工业和家庭应用。