article · Carbohydrate Polymer Technologies and Applications
Cellulose isolated from oil palm empty fruit bunches was hydrophobically modified using benzoyl chloride in an aqueous medium to evaluate its capacity as a Pickering emulsion stabiliser. Proximate analysis established that oil palm empty fruit bunches contain valuable levels of cellulose and hemicellulose. Following modification, X-ray diffraction demonstrated a reduction in crystallinity index from 66.12 percent in isolated cellulose to 61.38 percent in the benzoylated form. Thermal analyses indicated that the chemically modified cellulose possessed greater thermal stability than the unmodified material. Carrying out the modification in an aqueous medium provides an approach that avoids environmental issues linked to non-aqueous methods. The resulting benzoylated cellulose derivatives successfully stabilised Pickering emulsions against coalescence, achieving greater stability at higher particle concentrations. These characteristics suggest the modified cellulose derivative is a viable candidate for product formulations across food, pharmaceutical, and drug delivery systems.
Agricultural residues such as oil palm empty fruit bunches represent an abundant source of cellulose. Converting this biomass into hydrophobic stabilisers through a water-based chemical process offers a less environmentally damaging route for producing stable emulsions. These particle-stabilised mixtures are essential in creating stable formulations that resist droplet merging in everyday consumer and healthcare items.
The findings indicate potential application in formulation processes for food, pharmaceutical, and drug delivery products requiring stable Pickering emulsions. Prospective industrial users include product formulators and specialty chemical manufacturers seeking bio-based stabilisers. Based on the abstract, this represents early-stage, laboratory-tested research demonstrating emulsion stability and material properties, with further development required before practical commercial integration.
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Isolation and hydrophobic modification of cellulose from oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) and its capacity to act as Pickering emulsion stabilizer was studied. The isolated cellulose was hydrophobically functionalized with acid chloride (benzoyl chloride) in aqueous medium. Proximate analysis indicated that oil palm empty fruit bunch is a valuable source of hemicellulose and cellulose. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) revealed crystallinity index (CrI) of isolated cellulose (CB) and benzoylated cellulose (MCB) to be 66.12% and 61.38% respectively. Both Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and Differential Thermogravimetric (DTG) showed that thermal stability of MCB is higher than CB. The aqueous modification method would mitigate problems of environmental challenges often encountered in non-aqueous methods of cellulose modification. Pickering emulsions stabilized by the benzoylated cellulose (MCB) derivatives are stable, more importantly at higher particles concentrations. The improved properties of modified cellulose (MCB) derivatives recorded in this study and resistance of Pickering emulsions to coalescence showed that MCB is a potential material for formulation of food, drug delivery and pharmaceuticals products.
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DOI: 10.1016/j.carpta.2023.100282
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