Cellulose microfiber extraction from leftover celery pulp: Chemomechanical treatments, structural, morphological, and...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Biochemistry
• Sustainable Chemistry

Background:

• Cellulose offers a sustainable, eco-friendly alternative to petroleum-based materials due to its advantageous properties.
• Valorizing agricultural waste, such as celery pulp, is crucial for developing a circular economy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To extract pure cellulose from celery pulp (Apium graveolens var. dulce) using chemo-mechanical treatments.
• To characterize the extracted cellulose fibers and assess the impact of the treatments on their structural and thermal properties.

Main Methods:

• Chemo-mechanical treatments involving bleaching with sodium chlorite and sodium hypochlorite.
• Characterization techniques including Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), optical microscopy, Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM), and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA).

Main Results:

• FT-IR confirmed the effective removal of non-cellulosic materials and impurities.
• XRD analysis indicated no damage to the cellulose crystalline structure post-treatment.
• Microscopy revealed a significant reduction in fiber diameter from 100-150 μm (untreated) to 10-15 μm (treated).
• TGA demonstrated improved thermal stability with higher initial degradation temperatures for treated cellulose.

Conclusions:

• The proposed chemo-mechanical treatments are effective for extracting pure cellulose from celery pulp.
• The process yields cellulose fibers with reduced diameter and enhanced thermal stability.
• Celery pulp is a viable source for producing sustainable cellulose materials.