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

Synthesis of microcrystalline cellulose from oil palm empty fruit bunches with delignification pretreatment using deep eutectic solvent

Hertantri Yulia Rahmi, Dewanti Cahya Widi, Mukmin Sapto Pamungkas, Nur Rofiqoh Eviana Putri, Muslikhin Hidayat, and Yuni Kusumastuti

Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia

E-mail: yuni_kusumastuti@ugm.ac.id

Received: 24 April 2026  Accepted: 31 May 2026

Abstract:

Oil palm empty fruit bunches (OPEFB) are abundant lignocellulosic biomass wastes generated from palm oil production, with Indonesia producing approximately 10.76 million tons annually. This study reports the synthesis of microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) from OPEFB using a deep eutectic solvent (DES) composed of choline chloride and lactic acid (molar ratio 1:10) as an environmentally friendly delignification pretreatment, followed by bleaching with 5% H₂O₂ and acid hydrolysis using 1.5 M H₂SO₄. The raw OPEFB contained 35.34% hemicellulose, 27.51% cellulose, 17.84% lignin, 4.12% water, and 13.47% ash. FTIR analysis confirmed the removal of lignin and hemicellulose through the disappearance of the carbonyl peak at 1737 cm⁻¹ in the final MCC product. XRD analysis revealed that the synthesized MCC retained a cellulose type I crystalline structure, with a crystallinity index of 59.21%, compared to 69.45% for commercial MCC. The crystallinity increased progressively throughout the treatment stages, indicating effective removal of amorphous components. TGA analysis demonstrated improved thermal stability, with the onset decomposition temperature increasing from 195.8 °C in raw OPEFB to 257.2 °C in MCC. SEM observations revealed substantial morphological changes from fibrous raw material to a finer and more fragmented MCC structure. PSA results showed an average particle size of 1.53 µm with a polydispersity index of 0.84, which was considerably smaller than commercial MCC (~ 51 µm). Additionally, the DES solvent demonstrated reusability potential, supporting the sustainability of the process. Overall, the synthesized OPEFB MCC exhibited physicochemical characteristics comparable to commercial MCC, indicating its good potential as a bio-based excipient for pharmaceutical and industrial applications.

Keywords: Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunches (OPEFB); Deep Eutectic Solvent (DES); Microcrystalline Cellulose (MCC); Delignification

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.1007/s11696-026-05139-z

Chemical Papers 80 (10) 12443–12452 (2026)