Characterization and application of cellulose acetate synthesized from sugarcane bagasse

•Evaluation of the cellulose acetate synthesis from sugarcane bagasse.•Physical and thermal characterization of sugarcane bagasse cellulose acetate.•Application of cellulose acetate in membrane preparation.•A cellulose acetate with degree of substitution of 2.52 and 43.50% of acetyl groups was obtained.•Lignin and hemicellulose content increased the thermal resistance of the membranes. The synthesis and application of cellulose acetate (CA) from sugarcane bagasse were investigated. Firstly, cellulose was extracted by a sequential treatment with H2SO4 (10% v/v), NaOH (5% w/v), EDTA (0.5% w/V), and H2O2 (5% v/v), and characterized by X-ray diffraction (DRX). After the acetylation of the extracted cellulose, CA was characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and thermogravimetry analysis (TGA), and was applied in the membrane production. The membranes were analyzed by DSC and atomic force microscopy (AFM), and tested in the flux of water vapor to determinate the best conditions for membrane manufacturing. FTIR analysis proved the replacement of free OH groups by acetyl groups, and the thermal analysis showed that sugarcane bagasse CA possessed thermal properties compared to commercial grade CA. The best conditions to prepare membrane were: 3% (w/v) of polymer/solvent relation, 10min of solvent evaporation time, and 20°C as temperature for the coagulation bath. These results show that CA can be successfully synthesized from sugarcane bagasse and applied in membrane preparation.