Physicochemical characterization of novel biomass‐based microcrystalline cellulose derived from agro‐industrial residues of Rosa indica petals

Abstract

AbstractThe growing demand for sustainable materials is driving the adoption of microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) from renewable plant sources. This study investigated the isolation of MCC from Rosa indica petal (RIP) waste via acid hydrolysis. RIP was pretreated with alkali extraction and bleaching prior to acid hydrolysis. Chemical analysis revealed the composition of pretreated RIP was 79.56 wt.% cellulose, 9.87 wt.% hemicelluloses, and 5.69 wt.% lignin. Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) showed reduced peaks at 3332.88, 2851.95, and 1577.75 cm−1 after alkali treatment, indicating removal of hemicelluloses and lignin. X‐ray diffraction (XRD) found the crystallinity index of the isolated Rose indica petals cellulose (RIPC) MCC was 72.31%, suggesting effective purification. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) revealed RIPC MCC had a decomposition temperature of 296.65°C, superior to raw RIP at 211.25°C. In addition, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed RIPC MCC had fibrous morphology with fiber diameters ranging from 16.2–22.4 nm. In summary, RIPC MCC with high purity, crystallinity and thermal stability was successfully isolated from RIP waste via acid hydrolysis. The high performance of RIPC MCC demonstrates the potential of RIP leftovers as a renewable source for MCC production. RIPC MCC could serve as a promising reinforcement filler in nanocomposites due to its advantageous properties.