THERMAL PROPERTIES OF OIL PALM FIBRE, CELLULOSE AND ITS DERIVATIVES

摘要

Oil palm empty fruit bunches (EFB) are abundantly produced in palm oil mills from processing the fresh fruit bunches. Holocellulose, a composite of hemicelluloses and cellulose, was extracted from EFB using acidified sodium chlorite method. The α-cellulose was then separated from the holocellulose using 17.5% sodium hydroxide solution. Sodium carboxymethylcellulose (Na CMC) was synthesized from the α-cellulose by etherification with chloroacetic acid. The thermal properties of the EFB fibre, holocellulose, cellulose and Na CMC were studied with a thermogravimetric analyser (TGA) in the temperature range 50℃-850℃ with nitrogen as purge gas until 700℃ and then oxygen for combustion. The cellulose was more resistant to heat than the holocellulose and EFB fibre. The maximum rate of decomposition, or carbonization, for the cellulose occurred at 377.3℃ whereas the temperatures for the holocellulose and EFB fibre were 344.4℃ and 332.4℃, respectively. The thermogram profiles of the three materials differed from that of Na CMC in the later stage of the heating up to 700℃. The maximum rate of degradation for Na CMC occurred at 329.9℃. On introduction of oxygen at 700℃, combustion occurred and the approximate carbon contents of the materials may be inferred from their final loss in weight.