Preparation and characterization of nanocellulose from sugarcane bagasse

Nanocellulose (NC) was extracted from sugarcane bagasse (SCB) by acid hydrolysis. Alkalization and bleaching were used to treat SCB before the acid hydrolysis. The hydrolysis was carried out at 45 and 60℃ for 90 and 180 min. Chemical structure, crystallinity and thermal stability of the materials were studied using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), respectively. Morphology and particle size of nanocellulose were also studied using field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM). FTIR results confirmed that lignin and hemicellulose were eliminated after alkali and bleaching treatments. These chemical treatments resulted in an improvement in the crystallinity and thermal stability of SCB. Sphere shape nanocellulose particles were observed by FE-SEM. With increasing hydrolysis time and temperature, the crystallinity of nanocellulose was increased but particle size and thermal stability were decreased.