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