FACILE SYNTHESIS OF CARBOXYMETHYL CELLULOSE (CMC) FROM AGRICULTURAL RESIDUES

Cellulose derivative products, such as carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), which are used in the food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical industries, but still rely on cotton-derived cellulose, can be made from oil palm fruit empty bunches (OPEFB) and rice straw. This study examined how sodium monochloroacetic acid (NaMCA) concentration (3, 6, and 9 g) affected the simple synthesis and characteristics of CMC from OPEFB and rice straw cellulose. OPEFB-derived CMC produced with NaMCA (9 g) had the lowest of brightness, while rice straw CMC was brighter. NaMCA modifications altered the onset temperature (Tonset), but not maximum degradation temperature (Tmax), according to thermal analysis. The onset temperatures of OPEFB and rice straw CMC were 40–62 °C and 67–183 °C, respectively. Commercial CMC has an onset temperature of about 27 °C. The EDX analysis showed that rice straw CMC had a higher degree of substitution (DS) of 0.34–1.37 than OPEFB CMC, which had 0.30-0.70. Oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) cellulose and rice straw cellulose offer a viable carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) alternative. This process turns agricultural waste into valuable products and enables for their usage in numerous applications.