EXTRACTION AND YIELD OPTIMIZATION OF CARBOXYMETHYL CELLULOSE (CMC) FROM CORNCOB

Corncob is one of the most cellulose containing materials used to make Carboxymethyl
Cellulose (CMC). CMC is a cellulose derivative in which part of the hydroxyl groups
(-CH2-COOH) of the glucopyranose monomers that make up the cellulose backbone
are bonded by carboxymethyl groups which is extensively utilized in the biomedical
engineering, wastewater treatment, energy production, cosmetic products, detergent,
food, textile and pharmaceutical industries. Corncobs mostly contain (38.1%) cellulose,
(44.4%) hemicellulose, (11.9%) lignin as lignocellulosic chemicals and relatively small
amounts of minerals, wax and other chemicals. Mercerization and etherification are two
chemical steps which is carried out as slurry processes using organic solvent to
synthesized of CMC from corncob. A various concentration of independent variables
such as Sodium hydroxide (NaOH), Nitric acid (HNO3) and Monochloroacetic acid
(MCA) were used in this research to analyze different process parameters in order to
obtain the optimum conditions of CMC yield. The combinations of NaOH, HNO3 and
MCA were employed to the Box-Behnken experimental design to find out the optimum
condition. The optimum condition for the yield of CMC was obtained at the
concentration of 7.5 g NaOH/50 ml solution, 10 ml HNO3/50 ml solution and 5 g
MCA/50 ml solution. The result showed that addition of NaOH was a significant factor
that influenced the chemical properties on CMC as well as the quantity of CMC.
Finally, the CMC was characterized by using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy
(FTIR). The transformation of cellulose into carboxymethyl cellulose was confirmed
by the detection of a C=O bond at a wavenumber of 1584–1632 cm-1 in the infrared spectrum (IR).

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