A One-Pot Method for The Synthesis of Nanocellulose from Palm Oil Empty Bunches Using Fe-Cr Combination Catalyst
Abstract
Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunches (OPEFB) are one of the byproducts of Crude Palm Oil (CPO) production. Due to its high cellulose content, OPEFB can be processed into nanocellulose, one of its applications. The objective of this study was to determine the procedure for synthesizing nanocellulose from OPEFB using the one-pot method with a combination of Fe and Cr catalysts, as well as the properties and effect of the catalyst composition on the nanocellulose synthesized from OPEFB. In this investigation, OPEFB was processed into nanocellulose in a single vessel. The delignification step was conducted at 90oC for 5 hours with 30%-w/v H2O2, and the acid hydrolysis phase was conducted at 75oC for 1 hour with an 8%-w H2SO4 solution and Fe(NO3)3.9H2O and Cr(NO3)3.9H2O catalysts. The independent variables were the catalyst composition (3-7%-w/w) and Fe/Cr catalyst weight ratio (0-1). Based on the results, the highest nanocellulose yield was 37%-w, obtained with a catalyst concentration of 5%-w/w with a 0:1 Fe-Cr catalyst ratio. At the same time, the smallest lignin content was 1.711%-wt. which was obtained with a catalyst concentration of 3%-w/w with a Fe-Cr catalyst ratio of 0.5:0.5. Statistical analysis obtained an optimum variable of one-pot method at a catalyst concentration of 3%-w/w with a Fe-Cr catalyst ratio of 0:1. Nanocellulose yield obtained of 30.146%-w and lignin content of 1.610%-w. Meanwhile, from the experimental results at a catalyst concentration of 3%-w/w and a catalyst ratio of Fe-Cr 0:1, a nanocellulose yield of 29.616%-w and a lignin content of 1.799%-w was obtained. Nanocellulose was characterized by PSA, FTIR, TEM, and XRD analyses.
References
Ayu, G.E., Lubis, M., Ginting, M.H.S., Hayat, N., and Hasibuan, M.S., 2021. “Characterization of nanofiber cellulose from oil palm mesocarp fiber using chemical-ultrasonic processes.” Rasayan J. Chem. 14, 1906–1909.
Chávez-Guerrero, L., Toxqui-Terán, A., and Pérez-Camacho, O., 2022. “One-pot isolation of nanocellulose using pelagic Sargassum spp. from the Caribbean coastline.” J. Appl. Phycol. 34, 637–645.
Chen, Y.W., Lee, H.V., and Abd Hamid, S.B., 2017. “Facile production of nanostructured cellulose from Elaeis guineensis empty fruit bunch via one pot oxidative-hydrolysis isolation approach.” Carbohydr. Polym. 157, 1511–1524.
Chieng, B.W., Lee, S.H., Ibrahim, N.A., Then, Y.Y., and Loo, Y.Y., 2017. “Isolation and characterization of cellulose nanocrystals from oil palm mesocarp fiber.” Polymers 9(8), 355.
Doan, T.K.Q., and Chiang, K.Y., 2022. “Characteristics and kinetics study of spherical cellulose nanocrystal extracted from cotton cloth waste by acid hydrolysis.” Sustain. Environ. Res. 32, 26.
Elizabeth, L., 2024. “Nanocellulose synthesis by one pot method with Fe catalyst and gelatine capping agent.” J. Oil Palm Res., 36(2), 288-299.
Fahma, F., Iwamoto, S., Hori, N., Iwata, T., and Takemura, A., 2010. “Isolation, preparation, and characterization of nanofibers from oil palm empty-fruit-bunch (OPEFB).” Cellulose 17, 977–985.
Fairweather-Tait, S., and Sharp, P., 2021. “Iron,” in: Advances in Food and Nutrition Research. Academic Press Inc., Massachusetts. pp.219–250.
Frey, B.B., 2018. “Mixed Model Analysis of Variance,” in: The SAGE Encyclopedia of Educational Research, Measurement, and Evaluation. SAGE Publications, Inc.
Hidayatulloh, I., Widyanti, E.M., Kusumawati, E., and Elizabeth, L., 2021. “Nanocellulose production from empty palm oil fruit bunches (EPOFB) using hydrolysis followed by freeze drying.” ASEAN J. Chem. Eng. 21, 52-61.
Lani, N.S., Ngadi, N., Johari, A., and Jusoh, M., 2014. “Isolation, characterization, and application of nanocellulose from oil palm empty fruit bunch fiber as nanocomposites.” J. Nanomater. 1, 702538.
Qi, Y., Guo, Y., Liza, A.A., Yang, G., Sipponen, M.H., Guo, J., and Li, H., 2023. “Nanocellulose: a review on preparation routes and applications in functional materials.” Cellulose. 30, 4115–4147.
Thomas, P., Duolikun, T., Rumjit, N.P., Moosavi, S., Lai, C.W., Bin Johan, M.R., and Fen, L.B., 2020. “Comprehensive review on nanocellulose: Recent developments, challenges and future prospects.” J. Mech. Behav. Biomed. Mater. 110, 103884.
Wu, D., Wei, Z., Zhao, Y., Zhao, X., Mohamed, T.A., Zhu, L., Wu, J., Meng, Q., Yao, C., and Zhao, R., 2019. “Improved lignocellulose degradation efficiency based on Fenton pretreatment during rice straw composting.” Bioresour. Technol. 294, 122-132.
Wulandari, W.T., Rochliadi, A., and Arcana, I.M., 2016. “Nanocellulose prepared by acid hydrolysis of isolated cellulose from sugarcane bagasse.” IOP Conf. Ser.: Mater. Sci. Eng. 107, 012045.
Copyright (c) 2025 ASEAN Journal of Chemical Engineering
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Copyright holder for articles is ASEAN Journal of Chemical Engineering. Articles published in ASEAN J. Chem. Eng. are distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) license.
Authors agree to transfer all copyright rights in and to the above work to the ASEAN Journal of Chemical Engineering Editorial Board so that the Editorial Board shall have the right to publish the work for non-profit use in any media or form. In return, authors retain: (1) all proprietary rights other than copyright; (2) re-use of all or part of the above paper in their other work; (3) right to reproduce or authorize others to reproduce the above paper for authors’ personal use or for company use if the source and the journal copyright notice is indicated, and if the reproduction is not made for the purpose of sale.
