NANO-CRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE OF AFRICAN BEAN (PENTACLETHRA MACROPHYLLA BENTH) POD: EXTRACTION AND CHARACTERISATION

Nanocrystalline cellulose is a unique nanomaterial derived from the most abundant and almost inexhaustible natural polymer, cellulose. It is considered a sustainable nanomaterial due to its availability, biodegradability, and biocompatibility. Based on its desired structural, thermal, and morphological characteristics, it is suitable for mechanical and industrial applications. The research reports on the extraction and characterization of nanocrystalline cellulose from African bean (PentaclethramacrophyllaBenth) pods. In this paper, nano-crystalline cellulose (CNCs) were isolated from the cellulose extracted from Africa oil bean pod waste, followed by characterization using XRD, FT-IR, TGA, DGA, and SEM to determine its crystallinity, structural properties, thermal characteristics, and morphology, respectively. The result revealed that the Africa bean pod amorphous segments containing hemicelluloses and lignin were extensively removed with increasing chemical treatments, leading to increased purity, crystallinity index, and thermal stability of the extracted materials. The crystallinity index of nanocrystalline cellulose was estimated at 71.43%, which is better than both raw oil bean powder and isolated cellulose. This therefore implies that the nanocrystalline cellulose of the oil bean pod can serve different mechanical and structural applications.