Synthesis and Characterization of Carboxymethyl Cellulose from Corm Cobs Wastes

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.