Characterization of Hydrochloric Acid Hydrolysis to Sawdust Waste for Nanocellulose Extraction

Sawdust waste (SDW) has emerged as a promising, sustainable source of nanocellulose due to its high
cellulose content. Despite its potential, research into the optimization of hydrochloric acid (HCl) hydrolysis
for SDW-derived nanocellulose remains a gap in the field. This findings investigates the impact of specific
concentration of HCL (60–65 wt%) and specific duration of hydrolysis (30–60 minutes) on the structural
properties of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) at a constant temperature of 45 °C. The objective was to identify
the optimal conditions to maximize crystallinity index and refine crystallite size, thereby enhancing the
functional performance of the resulting material. Analytical results demonstrate that HCl hydrolysis is an
effective method for isolating CNCs with notable thermal stability and high yields. The findings shows that an
acid concentration of 65 wt% synthesised with a 60-minute hydrolysis duration yields the most reliable
outcomes, achieving a crystallinity index of 71% and a crystallite size of 2.77 nm. This study provides a critical
framework for future scalable production of high-quality nanocellulose from lignocellulosic waste. These
results underscore the viability of SDW as an eco-friendly precursor, supporting global efforts to advance
sustainable material design and development.

Sawdust waste, Nanocellulose, Acid hydrolysis, Hydrochloric acid, Crystallinity index, Sustainable materials

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