OPTIMIZED SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF CARBOXYMETHYLCELLULOSE DERIVED FROM SUGARCANE BAGASSE LIGNOCELLULOSE (Saccharum officinarum L.): COMPREHENSIVE FTIR AND QUALITY STANDARD ANALYSES

Bagasse is a fibrous waste material derived from sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) that can be useful in producing carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC). This study synthesized CMC from bagasse using NaOH concentrations of 25%, 35%, and 45%, along with 20% trichloroacetic acid (TCA), to produce high-quality CMC. The results revealed that the CMC synthesized with 35% NaOH exhibited properties closely aligning with the standards reported by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The drying loss, moisture content, pH, viscosity, NaCl content, purity, and degree of substitution were 3.1%, 5.247%, 6.91, 688.3 cP, 0.25%, 99.74%, and 1.08, respectively. Fourier-transform infrared analysis confirmed the functional groups characteristic of CMC, with prominent peaks at 3121.9 cm⁻¹ (OH group), 2886.5 cm⁻¹ (C-H group), 1663.6 cm⁻¹ (COO⁻ group), and 1029 cm⁻¹ (-O- group). These findings suggest that bagasse can be effectively utilized to produce high-quality CMC and potentially convert waste into value-added products.