RESEARCH ARTICLE

Journal of Oil Palm Research Vol. 32 (2) June 2020, p. 271-285

PHYSICO-CHEMICAL AND CONDUCTIVITY STUDIES OF MICROCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE (MCC) EXTRACTED FROM OIL PALM FRONDS AS A SUSCEPTIBLE FILLER IN PLA-LiTFSI POLYMER ELECTROLYTE

M HAZWAN HUSSIN*; IBRAHIM BELLO**; TUAN SHERWYN HAMIDON*; MOHAMAD ABU BAKAR*; AHMAD AZMIN MOHAMAD‡ and M K MOHAMAD HAAFIZ‡‡

DOI: https://doi.org/10.21894/jopr.2020.0023
Published Online: 18 May 2020
ABSTRACT

The journey for sustainable solutions in the environment to create safe, cheap and assessable materials in society requires the use of more plant-based natural fibres in the industry. In this work, the acid hydrolysis process was adopted to isolate organosolv-microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) from oil palm fronds (OPF). Complementary analyses such as cross polarisation/magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (CP/ MAS 13C NMR), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), gel permeation chromatography (GPC), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) revealed extracted MCC bear a resemblance to commercial-MCC. Polymer solution casting technique was adopted to prepare different ratios of MCC-polylactic acid (PLA)-lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) solid polymer electrolytes and electrical conductivities of polymer electrolyte films were investigated through electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). BO5 (organosolv-MCC-PLA-20 wt% LiTFSI) showed the maximum ionic conductivity of 1.25 x 10-5 S cm-1, while 5 wt% 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (BMIMCl) ionic liquid added revealed a positive effect of BMIMCl on the ionic conductivity of the polymer electrolyte yielding a higher conductivity of 2.3 x 10-5 S cm-1.

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* Materials Technology Research Group (MaTReC), School of Chemical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Minden, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia. E-mail: mhh@usm.my ** Chemistry Department, Bauchi State University, KM 18, Azare Zaki Road, Gadau, Itas-Gadau LGA, Bauchi State, Nigeria. ‡ School of Materials and Mineral Resources Engineering, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Seri Ampangan, 14300 Nibong Tebal, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia. ‡‡ School of Industrial Technology, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Minden, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia.