Abstract:
This work reports a method to utilize corncobs waste for the preparation of sodium
carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) and its characteristic. The corncobs waste was
cleaned, dried and ground to pass 80 mesh screen. The cellulose was extracted using
8% NaOH at 100 °C for 3.5 h and then bleached using 5% NaOCl at 30 °C for 3h.
The cellulose was alkalized using NaOH 50% at 25 °C for one hour. Amounts of
monochloroacetic acid (NaMCA) (3, 5, 7 g) were added per 5g cellulose and the
temperature was adjusted at particular temperature (45 °C, 55 °C or 65 °C). CMC of
the highest degree of substitution (DS) was obtained using 5g monochloroacetic acid
at 55°C. The as-synthesized CMC was characterized using FT-IR spectroscopy and
XRD powder diffractometer and it was found isomophous to the commercial CMC.
Its aqueous solutions, however, exhibited lower viscosities than the respective
solutions of commercial CMC.
