Preparation of microcrystalline cellulose using cotton yarn waste from the textile industry and evaluation of its characteristics

In order to protect the environment and cellulose resources, yarn wastes from the textile industry, which contains a considerable amount of cellulose, can be used to produce microcrystalline cellulose. In this study, yarn waste was milled via a ball mill and was subjected to acid hydrolysis using sulfuric acid and hydrochloric acid at different times. It was characterized through various tests to determine the particle size, degree of polymerization, bulk and tap density, water soluble substances, ash content, moisture absorption capacity, infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and thermogravimetric analysis. The Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy analysis showed that the chemical compositions of all the samples were the same. The X-ray diffraction measurement showed an increase in crystallinity after acid hydrolysis. The thermogravimetric analysis showed that prepared microcrystalline cellulose via acid hydrolysis had good temperature resistance. The results obtained showed that the cotton waste from textiles was able to produce cellulose microcrystalline at a pharmacy standard level.