Synthesis of cellulose microcrystals (CMC)/nylon 6,10 composite by incorporating CMC isolated from Pandanus ceylanicus

The paper presents a novel candidate plant: Pandanus ceylanicus (PC) for cellulose extraction. The plant showed an average of 91.5 ± 0.2 % of cellulose yield which is the highest yield for Pandanus species reported. Cellulose was extracted from the leaves of the plant by carrying out alkali and bleaching treatments, and cellulose microcrystals (CMC) were isolated from extracted cellulose fibers with sulphuric acid treatment. Chemical composition of PC leaves was investigated at different stages of treatment by using TAPPI standard methods. The extracted globular shaped CMC crystals had an average diameter less than a micro meter. Results revealed that PC leaves are an efficient source of micro-cellulose which result in a high yield than most lignocellulosic biomasses. The CMCs were successfully incorporated with nylon 6,10 by in-situ interfacial polymerization of sebacoyl chloride and hexamethylenediamine in the presence of CMC. The CMC/nylon 6,10 composite showed improved water absorption with low water retention time.

Keywords: Cellulose; Cellulose microcrystals; Nylon 6,10; Pandanus leaves; Water absorption.