Isolation and Characterization of Cellulose and Microcrystal Cellulose Obtained from the Pod of African Locus Bean (Parkia Biglobosa)

The pod of African locus bean (Parkia biglobosa) is a type of biomass that is haphazardly discarded in eastern Nigeria and other parts of the country, thus leading to significant pollution. Hence, the objective of this paper was to isolate and characterization of cellulose and microcrystal cellulose obtained from the pod of African locus bean (Parkia biglobosa) using appropriate standard techniques. The FTIR revealed the presence of O-H, C–O–C pyranose rings, and cellulosic β-glycosidic linkages. The SEM revealed a rough surface and MCC agglomeration. An EDX study of the cellulose found the following elements: C (80.42%), Na (4.21%), O (15%), N (10.12%), Al (5.66), Mg (2.73%), Si (2.11), and Na (4.21%). The MCC also included the elements C (61.32%), Na (19.59%), O (17.43%), Cu (30.67%), Si (9.23%), Mn (6.15%), and Na (4.21%), albeit with some variation compared to cellulose. Both cellulose and MCC demonstrate a sharp peak around 400 oC, with a mass loss of approximately 66.584% and a slight variation in weight masses with the temperature range of 30-100 oC. Further studies using XRD estimated the crystallinity index of cellulose and MCC at 62.8% and 78.9%, respectively. The different treatments applied to the isolated cellulose are linked to the variation in mass percentage. So, the purified MCC could be a useful ingredient in making environmentally friendly polymers, binders, adsorbents, and composites.