Dear all recearchers. We have isolated cellulose from palm oil empty fruit buch. However, we have two problems when we isolate it.
1. After we hydrolize it, we have difficulties separating it with water. We tried using centifugation to obaine it but it did't work. Do you have any suggestion?
2. After the first centrifugation, we got a gram of cellulose. afterward, we tried to dry it in oven at 40 degree celcius over night to produce a fine cellulose powder. However, after we checked it, the cellulose became harder like cement. Do you have any method how to treating cellulose to obain fine powder form?
Best regards
You found it difficult to separate as cellulose swells a lot in water. You can do solvent exchange with alcohol (methanol or ethanol) to reduce the swelling, and try again the centrifugation. Another advice is to go for freeze drying. It is usually a preferred method for drying nano-sized particles.
Go for freeze drying..High Hardness of your cellulose is due to high crystallinity of cellulose i guess. If you have good amount of cellulose which has dried as hard material try grinding them in a small mixer grinder . You will surely get some powder, but for that you need goood amount of cellulose oe else it won't grind .You can still try though. I did too.
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