Isolation of cellulose nanofibrils from coconut waste for the production of sewing thread

Abstract

Coconut waste is a by-product of commercial, industrial or agricultural activities, so that alternative uses for such waste are currently being sought. In Mexico, 66,203.22 tons of coconut waste were generated during the 2016 production cycle. Mexico City’s Central Market produces 108,000 kg/year of coconut fiber waste, which is sent directly to final disposal without being submitted to any type of treatment. Therefore, the general objective of this work was to find a way to use the cellulose nanofibrils obtained from coconut fiber residues to elaborate biomaterials that may substitute synthetic fibers in textile manufacturing. The methodology was divided into two phases. The first phase, performed in Mexico City’s Central Market, was field work focused on the study of the generation and sampling by quartering method based on Mexican Standard NMX-AA-15-1985. In the second phase, cellulose nanofibrils were obtained from the coconut fiber residues at laboratory level by means of a chemical method with sodium hydroxide. Subsequently, the cellulose nanofibrils were dissolved in a solution of 1-ethyl3-methylimidazolium acetate and N, N-dimethylformamide. Then, this solution was mixed with PCL and acetone and introduced in an electrospinning device. According to the results of proximate and cell wall analysis, coconut fiber waste contains 28.72% cellulose. It was determined that the solution containing 16% cellulose by weight was the most appropriate for yarn manufacturing purpose. Because of their high resistance to biodegradation and their durability, coconut fibers are a suitable material for obtaining cellulose nanofibrils that can be used in the textile industry. *Correspondence to: Neftalí Rojas-Valencia, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Institute of Engineering, Coordination of Environmental Engineering Building 5, cubicle 212, Avenida Universidad # 3000, Colonia Coyoacán, Distrito Federal, México, Tel: +55 52-56-23-36-00 ext. 8663; E-mail: nrov@ pumas.iingen.unam.mx