Effect of temperature on the silylation of nanocrystalline cellulose from oil palm empty fruit bunch with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane

Abstract

Nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) was obtained through the oxidation reaction of oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) pulp and 4-acetamido-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidin-1-oxyl (TEMPO) followed by ultrasonication. The aim of this study the effects of temperature on the silylation of nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) using OPEFB-NCC and 3-aminopropyl-triethoxysilane (APS). The reaction temperatures use in the silylation process were 60, 70, 80, 90 and 100°C. FTIR of the distinctive peaks resulting from the silylation process at 810 cm-1, broad peaks at 1028-1157 cm-1 and at 2928 cm-1 were used as the basis for investigating the influence of temperature on the silylation reaction. In addition, a visual examination of the final product was also carried out. Based on the FTIR analyses and aided by visual assessment, it can be deduced that a medium temperature of 80°C is the optimum silylation reaction temperature.