Waste to Gold – From Oil Palm Biomass to EcoPalm CMC

Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) is the most important water-soluble cellulose derivative with many application in the food, pharmaceutical, cosmetics, detergent, textile, paper and many other industries.

Waste to Gold – From Oil Palm Biomass to EcoPalm CMC

EcoPalm CMC – an aionic water-soluble biopolymer from Oil Palm Biomass

Researchers
Prof. Dr. Wan Rosli Wan Daud
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Zarita Zainuddin
Ms. Rose Farahiyan Munawar

Introduction
Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) is the most important water-soluble cellulose derivative with many application in the food, pharmaceutical, cosmetics, detergent, textile, paper and many other industries. It is a white to off-white, non-toxic, odourless, biodegradable powder.

Invention

This invention relates to the preparation of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and more particularly to the preparation of CMC of a low degree of substitution that is water soluble using cellulose pulp from oil palm biomass which is produced via the clean technology process sequence. Cellulose pulps to be used for the manufacture of CMC must be fit given specifications such as ISO brightness > 89%, alpha cellulose > 90%, low hemicellulose and ash contents.

Carboxymethyl cellulose is prepared by impregnating cellulose pulp with aqueous sodium hydroxide and treating the ensuing alkali cellulose with chloroacetic acid or one of its soluble salts (the etherifying agent). The degree of substitution can be controlled by adjusting the reaction parameters during derivatization.

The resultant CMC, which is aptly named as EcoPalm CMC since it is prepared from oil palm biomass via a series of ecological processes, is an anionic, water soluble biopolymer which has properties that are at par to those of commercial CMC’s produced from wood and has the potentials to be used in a myriad of applications.

For more information contact - Prof. Dr. Wan Rosli Wan Daud
Contact details available to registered journalists only

Published: 16 Oct 2005

Contact details:

Universiti Sains Malaysia 11800 Minden Penang

++604-6533888 (Main Campus), ++609-7651704/00/11(Health Campus), ++604-5937788 (Engineering Campus)
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