Preliminary evaluation of boric acid-treated cellulose derived oil palm empty fruit bunches
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15282/jceib.v12i2.13242Keywords:
Cellulose, Oil palm empty fruit bunches (OPEFB), Boric acid (BA), Thermal stability, CrystallinityAbstract
This study investigates the effect of boric acid (BA) treatment on the physicochemical properties of cellulose derived from oil palm empty fruit bunches (OPEFB), with the goal of enhancing thermal stability. The work follows a systematic one-factor-at-a-time (OFAT) approach to screen the effects of BA concentration, reaction time, and treatment temperature on the physico-chemical properties of the cellulose derived OPEFB. Characterization techniques including Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) were employed. FTIR confirmed the reduction in free hydroxyl groups and the successful formation of borate ester, particularly at a 3% (w/v) BA concentration. Preserved crystallinity was observed under moderate treatment conditions, as shown by the XRD analysis. In addition, improved thermal stability was achieved, as demonstrated by the TGA analysis, particularly at 3% (w/v) boric acid (BA), 2 h, and 25°C. This study shows that under these conditions, moderate thermal stabilization can be achieved through chemical crosslinking without significant structural degradation. Furthermore, this study demonstrates that sustainable cellulose-based materials with enhanced performance can be developed using a boric acid modification approach.
References
[1] Trache D, Tarchoun AF, Derradji M, Hamidon TS, Masruchin N, Brosse N, et al. Nanocellulose: from fundamentals to advanced applications. Frontiers in Chemistry. 2020;8:392. https://doi.org/10.3389/fchem.2020.00392
[2] Abushammala H, Mao J. A review of the surface modification of cellulose and nanocellulose using aliphatic and aromatic mono- and di-isocyanates. Molecules. 2019;24(15):2782. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules24152782
[3] Borsoi C, Zimmernnam MV, Zattera AJ, Santana RM, Ferreira CA. Thermal degradation behavior of cellulose nanofibers and nanowhiskers. Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry. 2016;126(3):1867–78. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10973-016-5653-x
[4] Sharma A, Thakur M, Bhattacharya M, Mandal T, Goswami S. Commercial application of cellulose nano-composites – a review. Biotechnology Reports. 2019;21:e00316. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.btre.2019.e00316
[5] Chang SH. An overview of empty fruit bunch from oil palm as feedstock for bio-oil production. Biomass and Bioenergy. 2014;62:174–81. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biombioe.2014.01.002
[6] Samyn P, Cosemans P, Van der Eycken EV, Coppola GA. Enhanced mechanical robustness of sprayed cellulose nanofibril coatings through internal crosslinking with boric acid. Polymers. 2025;17(18):2451. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17182451
[7] Uddin KM, Ago M, Rojas OJ. Hybrid films of chitosan, cellulose nanofibrils and boric acid: flame retardancy, optical and thermo-mechanical properties. Carbohydrate Polymers. 2017;177:13–21. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carbpol.2017.08.116
[8] Shen H, Zheng X, Dong L, Huang D. Bioinspired high-strength borate cross-linked microfibrillated cellulose composite laminate with self-extinguishing flame retardance and superhydrophobicity for self-cleaning. ACS Omega. 2023;8(44):41458. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.3c05251
[9] Yildirim M, Candan Z, Gonultas O. Chemical performance analysis of nanocellulose/boron-compound-reinforced hybrid UF resin. Green Materials. 2022;10(2):90–6. https://doi.org/10.1680/jgrma.20.00077
[10] Moreno P, Villamizar N, Perez J, Bayona A, Roman J, Moreno N, et al. Fire-resistant cellulose boards from waste newspaper, boric acid salts, and protein binders. Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy. 2021;23(5):1537–46. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10098-021-02046-7
[11] D’Acierno F, Michal CA, MacLachlan MJ. Thermal stability of cellulose nanomaterials. Chemical Reviews. 2023;123(11):7295–325. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemrev.2c00816
[12] Mohammed M, Jawad AJ, Mohammed AM, Oleiwi JK, Adam T, Osman AF, et al. Challenges and advancement in water absorption of natural fiber-reinforced polymer composites. Polymer Testing. 2023;124:108083. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polymertesting.2023.108083
[13] Jafri NH, Jimat DN, Wan Nawawi WM, Ahmad Nor Y, Amid A. Optimum yield of empty fruit bunches cellulose nanofibers by deep eutectic solvent and ultrasonication. Chemical Engineering & Technology. 2024;47(1):56–67. https://doi.org/10.1002/ceat.202300117
[14] Asem M, Jimat DN, Jafri NH, Nawawi WM, Azmin NF, Abd Wahab MF. Entangled cellulose nanofibers produced from sugarcane bagasse via alkaline treatment, mild acid hydrolysis assisted with ultrasonication. Journal of King Saud University – Engineering Sciences. 2023;35(1):24–31. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jksues.2021.03.003
[15] Ngadi N, Lani NS. Extraction and characterization of cellulose from empty fruit bunch (EFB) fiber. Jurnal Teknologi. 2014;68(5):35–9. Available from: http://www.jurnalteknologi.utm.my/index.php/jurnalteknologi/article/view/3028/2234
[16] Zhang J, Koubaa A, Xing D, Liu W, Wang Q, Wang X, et al. Improving lignocellulose thermal stability by chemical modification with boric acid for incorporating into polyamide. Materials & Design. 2020;191:108589. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matdes.2020.108589
[17] Wang Q, Li J, Winandy JE. Chemical mechanism of fire retardance of boric acid on wood. Wood Science and Technology. 2004;38(5):375–89. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00226-004-0246-4
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 The Author(s)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
