Isolation, Modification, and Characterization of Cellulose fromWood Pulp ofAcacia nilotica

Abstract

The aim of this study was to isolate, modify, and characterize cellulose from wood pulp of Acacia Nilotica.The isolation of cellulose was done using alkaline hydrolysis of wood fibers in aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide (4% w/v)and bleaching steps. Citric acid was used to modifythe isolated cellulose.The results have shown that the percentage of cellulose is 30.81%. FTIR spectra of the isolated cellulose and the modified cellulose were displayed their characteristic absorption bands. FTIR spectrum of cellulose has displayed the characteristic stretching and bending absorption bands of –OH (3330cm-1), -CH (1058cm-1), C-O (1110cm-1).On the other hand the FTIR spectrum of the modified cellulose has shownin addition to cellulose characteristics bands the stretching vibration of a carbonyl group -C=O at 1733 cm-1.