Extraction of Nanocellulose from Raw Apple Stem

Abstract

© 2015, Japan Institute of Energy. All rights reserved. Apple stem is one of the main waste biomass resources in Aomori prefecture, Japan. Using apple stem as the raw material for the extraction of nanocellulose is attractive for treating such a waste biomass, which can lower economic cost, and add value in cultivation. In this study, the apple stem was pretreated using typical cellulose extraction method, followed by acid hydrolysis of cellulose in mild condition for production of nanocellulose. The obtained product was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and thermogravimetric analysis (TG). The results confirmed that nanocelluloses with diameters around 10-20 nm were obtained. The nanocellulose was in whisker shape with higher crystallinity, higher thermal stability at high temperature, and no obvious composition change occurred during the acid hydrolysis.