Production of natural cellulose-based microfibres, from oil palm mesocarp fibres and pineapple leaf wastes, as porous supports for further applications

Natural cellulose-based microfibers were obtained through an economical and environmentally sustainable process called alkaline-peroxide purification, from the waste products of oil palm mesocarp fibres (OPMF) and pineapple leaves (PL), with the intention of creating porous, biodegradable, biocompatible, and non-toxic solid supports for use in future processes. The extracted microfibres were then taken through microscopic, spectroscopic and thermal characterisation to establish their cellulosic nature. The scanning electron microscopic (SEM) images of the bleached microfibres (B-OPMF and B-PLF) were cleaner, smoother and porous as compared with that of the unrefined fibres (Ur-OPMF and Ur-PLF). The bleached fibres (B-OPMF and B-PLF) exhibited peaks of C and O, which are indicative of pure cellulose, in the energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) analysis. The FTIR spectral analysis of the extracted cellulose-based fibres (B-OPMF and B-PLF) exhibited peaks that were similar in composition to the reference cellulose (P-GB). For the thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) analysis, the maximum weight degradation in the reference cellulose (P-GB), occurred at 363.11 °C, in the bleached palm fibres (B-OPMF) at 334.55 °C and in the bleached pineapple leaf fibres (B-PLF) at 375.68 °C which, corresponds to cellulose decomposition. The differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) test verified the microfibers' thermally induced transitions. Therefore, these cellulose-based microfibres could be applied as functionalised microfibre supports for future applications.