Cationic modification of nanocrystalline cellulose from sago fronds

Sago fronds are agricultural waste, whose availability is enormous in Indonesia, yet not optimally utilized. This research was conducted to isolate nanocrystalline cellulose from sago frond material, using sulfuric acid, with variations in hydrolysis times and cationic modifications of the nanocrystalline cellulose surface. The profiles of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, a scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction indicated a decrease in lignin content, hemicellulose, and fiber dimensions, during the delignification, bleaching, and hydrolysis, followed by an increase in the cellulose content and in degrees of crystallinity. The variations in hydrolysis times affected the cellulosic nanocrystalline characteristics. Longer hydrolysis times caused a decrease in the yield, thermal stability, dimensions of nanocrystalline cellulose, and an increase in the degree of crystallinity and surface charge. The modification of nanocrystalline cellulose, using cetyltrimethylammonium bromide and 3-chloro-2-hydroxypropyltrimethylammonium chloride, led to the surface of nanocrystalline cellulose becoming positively charged followed by a decrease in the degree of crystallinity and thermal stability. The resulting nanocellulose had moderate stability and the potential to be applied in wider-scaled material processing.