Synthesis of Nanofiber from Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunches Cellulose Acetate for Bioplastics Production

Abstract

The purposes of this research were to obtain nanometer-sized fiber with electrospinning method and to produce bioplastics with addition of diethylen glicol (DEG) plasticizer. This research was conducted through several stages, namely extraction of cellulose, synthesis of cellulose acetate, sythesis of nanofibers and production of bioplastics. In the production of nanofibers cellulose acetate, electrospinning method were used with concentrations of cellulose acetate  (5, 10, and 15 %) and spinneret-collector distances (6, 8, and 10 cm) treatments.  In the production of bioplastics, solution casting method was  ​​used with micro and nano fiber-sized cellulose acetate  and addition of DEG plasticizer (0, 10, 20, and 30 %) treatments. The results of this research showed that  the lowest nanofiber diameter of 134 nm was obtained on the cellulose acetate concentration of 10% and spinneret-collector distance of 8 cm. The best mechanical characteristic was obtained on bioplastic of nanofiber celulose acetate and the addition of plasticizer at the concentration of 10%. Its mechanical characteristics were tensile strength of 3.953 MPa and elongation of 18.56%.

Keywords: nano fiber, cellulose acetate, oil palm empty fruit bunches cellulose, electrospinning, bioplastics.