Production and Characterization of Nanocellulose from Maguey (Agave cantala) Fiber

Plant fibers have been studied as sources of nanocellulose due to their sustainable features. This study investigated the effects of acid hydrolysis parameters, reaction temperature, and acid concentration on nanocellulose yield from maguey (Agave cantala) fiber. Nanocellulose was produced from the fibers via the removal of non-cellulosic components through alkali treatment and bleaching, followed by strong acid hydrolysis for 45 min using sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄). The temperature during acid hydrolysis was 30, 40, 50, and 60 °C, and the H₂SO₄ concentration was 40, 50, and 60 wt. % H₂SO₄. Results showed that 53.56% of raw maguey fibers were isolated as cellulose, that is, 89.45% was α-cellulose. The highest nanocellulose yield of 81.58 ± 0.36% was achieved from acid hydrolysis at 50 °C using 50 wt. % H₂SO₄, producing nanocellulose measuring 8-75 nm in diameter and 72-866 nm in length, as confirmed via field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis indicated the chemical transformation of fibers throughout the nanocellulose production process. The zeta potential analysis showed that the nanocellulose had excellent colloidal stability with a highly negative surface charge of -37.3 mV. Meanwhile, X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis validated the crystallinity of nanocellulose with a crystallinity index of 74.80%. Lastly, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) demonstrated that the inflection point attributed to the cellulose degradation of the produced nanocellulose is 311.41 °C.