Bleaching of cellulose fiber from sugar cane (Saccharum spp.) straw with hydrogen peroxide

Abstract

Objective: Optimize the treatment of cellulose bleaching, replacing the use of sodium hypochlorite with hydrogen peroxide.

Design/methodology/approach: A completely randomized design was used, the treatments were six processes of cellulose bleaching, which were carried out with 18 repetitions. To extract the cellulose, the artisanal method and 40 g of straw were used per treatment. The extraction and yield of cellulose and cellulose fiber, whiteness, crystallinity, granule size, purity of the cellulose and an economic analysis of the cost of the bleaching process were evaluated.

Results: The average cellulose fiber extracted was 14 g, meaning that the yield of cellulose fiber was 35%. The average cellulose was 8 g, which represents a yield of 39.9% cellulose. The whiteness with sodium hypochlorite was 86.6 %, with a crystallinity of 65.9% and the cellulose granule size was 2.6 nm, and with hydrogen peroxide whiteness was 83%, the crystallinity was 68 % and the average granule size was 2.7 nm, according to the XRD method. This means similarity in both bleaching process. According to the FTIR analysis, the cellulose bleached in both processes is similar to the cellulose structure.

Limitations on study/implications: Cellulose bleaching is more expensive with hydrogen peroxide process.

Findings/conclusions: The cellulose extracted from the sugar cane straw, bleached with hydrogen peroxide presents acceptable characteristics to produce artisanal paper