Effect of extraction period on properties of sugarcane bagasse and softwood chips cellulose
This work evaluates the extraction of sugarcane bagasse (SCB) and soft wood (SW) celluloses with alkali treatment followed by bleaching process using sodium chlorite at different time. The influence of extraction time (2 hrs and 4 hrs) on the thermal, crystallinity and morphological properties was investigated. The extracted celluloses were analysed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transmission infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The aromatic skeletal vibrations of lignin and hemicellulose confirmed the extraction of cellulose which varied extraction time. TGA analysis shows that the untreated SCB degrade earlier than their respective celluloses and the prolonged treatment affects the onset of main degradation. XRD results showed that extracted celluloses had greater crystallinity index, and was affected at prolonged time due to long range destruction of cellulose crystals. The SW revealed a complex behaviour due to the dominated lignin content as revealed from chemical composition analyses.