Morphology and Dispersion Stability of Nanocellulose Extracted from Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunch Fibre by High-Pressure Homogenization

This paper aims to study the morphology and dispersion stability of nanocellulose extracted from oil palm empty fruit bunch (EFB) fibre by high-pressure homogenization method. Microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) from EFB fibre was hydrolysed using sulphuric acid, followed by high-pressure homogenization, to produce nanocellulose. The isolated MCC and nanocellulose was characterized for their microstructure and stability of the particles. Observation with SEM showed that diameter size of MCC from OPEFB were decreased along with the length of the fibres as the concentration of sulphuric acid increased. While the effects of homogenization cycles on the morphology of the obtained nanocelluloses were observed using FESEM. Overall results revealed that an addition of cycle numbers has shown a reduction in diameter size and substantial breakdown of the cell walls of the nanocellulose. In contrast, for the stability test, the MCCs and NCs particles' stability and dispersibility were dependent on the electrostatic interactions, which helped to maintain a more stable suspension. Therefore, combining the chemical and mechanical processes can successfully pave the way for the production of high added-value nanocellulose from a variety of cellulosic sources and has a good potential for nanocellulose production in Malaysia.