SYNTHESIS AND PROPERTIES OF CARBOXYMETHYL CELLULOSE FROM AGRICULTURAL WASTE – SUGARCANE LEAVES

"Sugarcane leaves are an abundant agricultural waste with the potential for use as a source of cellulose. Cellulose from sugarcane leaves was converted to carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) by carboxymethylation using sodium hydroxide and monochloroacetic acid in isopropyl alcohol. The yield of CMC was 212.16%. A degree of substitution (DS) equivalent to 0.79 was obtained during the conversion, indicating that the product was water-soluble. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy confirmed the presence of major peaks expected for carboxymethyl substitution, compared to commercial CMC. Thermal properties were studied using simultaneous thermal analysis (STA). Melting temperature (Tm) and degradation temperature (Td) of the sample were 116.6 °C and 270.4 °C, respectively, while the residual mass of 36.49% at 800 °C indicated the presence of a non-volatile component fraction. CMC morphology showed a non-circular form with small particles. Results indicated the potential of sugarcane leaves for production of commercial grade CMC."