Microcrystalline Cellulose from Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunches as Filler in Polylactic Acid

Acid hydrolysis method was used to isolate microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) from oil palm empty fruit bunches (OPEFB) total chlorine free bleached pulp. The derived MCC was incorporated into polylactic acid (PLA) using solution casting technique in order to produce PLA/MCC composites. The chemical structure of the cellulose fragments remains unaltered as demonstrated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy despite acid hydrolysis. X-ray diffraction showed that the MCC has a cellulose I polymorph with 87% crystallinity index. The addition of MCC into PLA enhanced not only the thermal stability but also the Young's modulus of the PLA/MCC composites by approximately 30% at 5 phr MCC contents compared to pure PLA. However a decrease in tensile strength and elongation at break of the PLA/MCC composites were observed due to the poor dispersion of MCC in the PLA matrix