SYNTHESIS OF CELLULOSE NANOCRYSTALS (CNCs) FROM DENIM WASTE: OPTIMIZATION AND CHARACTERIZATION

• Main Author: Melinda, Catherine
• Format: Final Project
• Language: Indonesia
• Subjects: Teknik (Rekayasa, enjinering dan kegiatan berkaitan)
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/38374
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

Production of garment industry in Indonesia, including denim, has been continuously growing from 327,2 thousand tonnes in 2014 and becoming 446,6 thousand tonnes in 2017. This continuous growth has resulted in the increasing of garment industry waste. Denim waste contains a high content of cellulose, making them potential to be used as raw materials for synthesis of Cellulose Nanocrystals (CNCs). CNCs are highly favored nanomaterials due to their advantages such as low density, large surface area, high mechanical properties, and low toxicity. Therefore, CNCs have the capability to be applied in a variety of industries, such as biomedical, material, and technology. The purpose of this research was to synthesize CNCs from denim waste using the method of oxidation with Ammonium Persulfate (APS). Several problems which were analyzed were the effects of alkaline pretreatment, APS concentration and the reaction time to the quality of the CNCs. The operating conditions which were varied were APS concentration, which were 1; 1,5; and 2 M, and reaction time, which were 5, 10, and 15 hours. Through the characterization of the CNCs obtained with DLS, XRD, and TEM, the optimum condition was determined in accordance to the dimension which is within the range of the dimension specification. Through this research it was found that one-step method failed to produce CNCs. Both one-step and two-step methods produced rod-like particles. Based on DLS and TEM analysis, increasing the reaction time from 5 to 15 hours and increasing the APS concentration from 1 to 1,5 M decreased the CNCs’ dimensions. The optimum oxidation condition was found to be 15 hours for oxidation at 60oC with 1,5 M APS with the addition of alkali pretreatment, producing CNCs with length 76,14±8,56 nm and diameter 18,1±3,54 nm. CNCs produced at this optimum condition has crystallinity index 83,4%.