Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

ISOLATION OF MICROFIBER CELLULOSE FROM KAPOK FIBER (CEIBA PENTANDRA) BY USING CHEMICAL-HYDROTHERMAL TREATMENT

Dewi Sartika, Khaswar Syamsu, Endang Warsiki and Farah Fahma

Abstract

Kapok (Ceiba pentandra) is one of natural fibrous sources whose potency as source of microfiber cellulose (MFC). Microfiber cellulose of kapok was isolated by chemical hydrothermal treatment and characterized by several analysis such as chemical composition analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Kapok fiber has a high content of cellulose that is 62.87%, hemicellulose 26.32% and lignin 4.5%. The process of chemical hydrothermal treatment causes a rough fiber surface and a decrease in the size of the fiber dimensions, an increase in cellulose levels followed by a decrease in lignin and hemicellulose levels, an increase in the degree of crystallinity, and thermal stability. Because of high degree of crystallinity and thermal stability, MFC is potential to be used as a reinforcement agent in the composite matrix.