Preparation and characterization of cellulose nanocrystal extracted from ramie fibers by sulfuric acid hydrolysis

Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) were isolated from ramie fibers through chemical pretreatments accompanied by sulfuric acid hydrolysis. The influences of both temperature and hydrolysis time on the properties of CNCs were discussed in the present study. The characterization of CNCs was conducted using FT-IR, XRD, TEM, and TGA. The results showed the characteristics of obtained CNCs were influenced significantly by both temperature and time of hydrolysis. The crystallinity, dimensions, and thermal stability of CNCs were found to reduce by increasing both temperature and reaction time of hydrolysis. The optimal hydrolysis parameters were achieved at 45 °C for 30 min with 58% sulfuric acid to produce CNCs, rod-like particles with a high crystallinity (90.77%), diameter (6.67 nm), length (145.61 nm), and best thermal stability among all CNCs. The obtained CNCs had a higher potential for application of alternative reinforcing fillers in the nanocomposites.