Date of Publication

7-2024

Document Type

Master's Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering (Honors) - Ladderized

Subject Categories

Chemical Engineering

College

Gokongwei College of Engineering

Department/Unit

Chemical Engineering

Thesis Advisor

Cynthia F. Madrazo

Defense Panel Chair

Arnel B. Beltran

Defense Panel Member

Vergel C. Bungay
Denvert C. Pangayao

Abstract (English)

Kapok (Ceiba pentandra) fibers were subjected to subcritical water pretreatment for optimization of the process via Box-Behnken design of experiment as an alternative to alkali pretreatment . Temperature, solid-to-solvent ratio, and treatment time were the factors chosen to be optimized. Temperature was determined to be the most significant factor affecting non-cellulosic mass loss. Determined optimal parameters for the subcritical water pretreatment were 180 °C, 1 g kapok fiber:150 mL water, and 4 hr treatment time. Verification results led to 52.3% mass loss from the optimal parameter and a further 12.9% mass loss after bleaching, totalling a mass loss of 60.5% mass loss from the overall pretreatment. In comparison, alkali pretreatment with bleaching obtained a 61.7% mass loss. Literature composition of kapok fibers and Fourier Transform-Infrared Spectroscopy analysis of the pretreated fibers confirm that the compound remaining after both pretreatments is cellulose. The pretreated fibers were then subjected to acid hydrolysis to produce cellulose nanocrystal, and it was determined that a higher degree of hydrolysis occured with alkali pretreated kapok fibers in the production of cellulose nanocrystals, as the pretreatment had higher mass loss especially at higher acid concentrations, and from the characterization of the cellulose nanocrystals produced, lower crystallinity and smaller particles sizes of the cellulose nanocrystals were determined. Nevertheless, the characterization of the cellulose nanocrystals confirmed the cellulose chemical identity of cellulose nanocrystals, the size and morphology of the cellulose nanocrystals are determined to be within the nanoscale, crystallinity index is from 74.4% to 83.5%, indicating high crystallinity, and lastly, high thermal stability (average peak degradation temperature: 364 °C) from all cellulose nanocrystals produced was determined.

Abstract Format

html

Abstract (Filipino)

None

Abstract Format

html

Language

English

Format

Electronic

Keywords

Kapok

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Embargo Period

7-2025

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