1133Sustainable Production of Cellulose from Palm Tree Biomass

A.A. Al-Hassan

Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, College of Agriculture & Food, Qassim University, 51452, Burydah, Saudi Arabia.

In this study, local palm tree (Sukkary) cellulose has been extracted using heating and chemical pretreatment methods. To remove lignin and hemicellulose, the date palm tree biomass (fronds) was soaked in a 2% sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution for two hours, with stirring and heating at 80°C. The treated material was thoroughly washed with distilled water to neutralize and remove residual chemicals. A black solution resulted from the removal of lignin and hemicellulose. Bleaching was applied using sodium hypochlorite as a bleaching agent to further purify the cellulose and achieve the desired whiteness. Final washing was performed by rinsing the material again to ensure that all chemicals were removed. Drying the cellulose in an oven at 45°C for three hours to remove moisture from the isolated cellulose resulted in a dry, white fibrous form. The achieved cellulose yield was 39.2-45.3%. FTIR spectroscopy and XRD analysis were used to evaluate the purity and structural integrity of the produced cellulose. The potential applications of the extracted cellulose including the health benefits of cellulose and its role in dietary applications and the cellulose-based bioplastic for food packaging. This initiative aligns with global efforts to reduce the environmental impacts of agricultural waste and supports the transition toward renewable resources