Dispersion Stability of Nanocellulose in Nonpolar Solvent: Chloroform

Nanocellulose (NC) has been successfully isolated from Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunch (OPEFB) by using catalyst 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl radical (TEMPO) through mediated oxidation process. For use as a reinforcing component in polymer bionanocomposites, NC has to be completely dried to avoid agglomeration in the non-polar solvent. In this research three types of approaches namely, oven drying (OD), freeze drying (FD) and solvent exchange (SE) were used to remove the water. Based on the dispersion stability results, the NC prepared from the OD technique gave longer stable suspension than that produced by FZ and SE. Besides, this method is also relatively simple and cost effective.