Structural characterization and solid state properties of thermal insulating cellulose materials of different size classifications

Abstract

This study investigated two classifications of wood cellulose of particle sizes 300 μm to 424 μm and 600 μm to 849 μm. The cellulose samples were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The cellulose crystal revealed a preferred orientation along the (200) plane for the most prominent peak. The XRD diffractogram revealed an orthorhombic structure obtained from the powder diffractogram file (PDF). Furthermore, the crystallinity index and crystalline size were calculated and the increase in crystalline size of the isolated cellulose indicated higher thermal stability. The EDX analysis showed chemical components of carbon (C), sodium (Na), chlorine (Cl), and oxygen (O) in the isolated cellulose. The morphology of the cellulose appeared as strings of fibres. The isolated cellulose has applications in the production of biomaterial, thermal insulating devices, and domestic applications.