PREPARATION OF CELLULOSE NANOCRYSTALS FROM DATE PALM TREE LEAFLETS (PHOENIX DACTYLIFERA L.) VIA REPEATED CHEMICAL TREATMENTS

Recently, there has been significant research interest in nanocellulose due to its unique properties and performance. Its special characteristics make it a desirable material for many advanced industrial applications. It is considered a precursor for many industrial products, such as textiles and leather, as well as for some smart applications, such as in the biomedical area, in photonics, and flexible optoelectronics. The preparation of the nanocellulose from bio-based degradable by-products is a great advantage from sustainability and environmental considerations. This work aimed to find the best utilization for locally available date palm tree by-products, in an attempt to turn them into a valuable material. We succeeded in preparing nanocellulose with considerable crystallinity from biomass by-products via chemical and physical processing. The properties of the obtained nanocellulose were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). It was found that the sonication process (20 kHz, 10 min, 100 C) has a significant role to play in the nanocellulose formation. The nanocellulose was found to have a smaller diameter (20-508 nm) and smoother surface, compared to the untreated fibers, and reached the degradation temperature of 1560 C as a result of the removal of lignin and hemicelluloses. Therefore, cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) were achieved from low-cost by-products and could be further applied as a biodegradable matrix material.