ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Conversion of empty fruit bunch date palm-based cellulose to carboxymethyl cellulose via microwave method

Mohanad El‑Harbawi, Yousef M. Alanazi, Abdullah Al Ragib, Mohamed Aboughaly, Abdelbasset Bessadok-Jemai, and Chun‑Yang Yin

Chemical Engineering Department, College of Engineering, King Saud University, Riyadh 11421, Saudi Arabia

E-mail: melharbawi@ksu.edu.sa

Received: 10 January 2026  Accepted: 26 April 2026

Abstract:

Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) is a widely used cellulose derivative with applications across the food and pharmaceutical industries. In this study, we present a microwave-assisted method for the production of CMC from cellulose extracted from date palm empty fruit bunches (EFBDs) – a well-known agricultural waste in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. The cellulose was subjected to mercerization and etherification reactions to yield CMC. Structural and compositional analyzes confirmed the successful conversion: elemental analysis indicated a high oxygen and carbon content consistent with purified cellulose, while FTIR analysis confirmed the substitution of hydroxyl groups with carboxymethyl ether groups. The synthesized CMC exhibited a degree of substitution of 0.81, lower crystallinity as indicated by SEM and thermal analysis, and improved solubility compared to the cellulose precursor. Our findings demonstrate that microwave-assisted synthesis not only enhances process efficiency but also offers a sustainable way to valorize agricultural biomass into high-value biopolymers for industrial-scale applications.

Keywords: Carboxymethyl cellulose; Microwave synthesis; Date palm empty fruit bunches

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.1007/s11696-026-04962-8

Chemical Papers 80 (8) 9461–9471 (2026)