Comparative Study of Nitrocellulose Synthesized from Cotton, Ramie, and Kenaf Fibers: Optimization and Characterizations

Nitrocellulose (NC) has attracted great interest among researchers due to its extensive range of applications. Generally, NC with high nitrogen content is prepared from cotton, which is challenging to cultivate in Indonesia. Therefore, this study explored the potential of ramie and kenaf, materials that are known to have high-cellulose content and abundance in Indonesia, especially for NC production. In this research, cotton, ramie, and kenaf fibers were treated by using 17.5% (w/w) NaOH to obtain α-cellulose. The nitration process used a mixture of sulfuric acid (H 2 SO 4 ) and nitric acid (HNO 3 ) with a ratio of 3:1 (v/v). The effect of cellulose-to-reagent on the nitrogen content in different weight ratios (1:50, 1:100, and 1:150) was investigated. The nitrogen content in NC was determined using the acetone insolubility test according to MIL-DTL-244C standards, FTIR spectroscopy, and elemental analyzer. The FTIR spectrum showed the presence of NO 2 groups in NC which confirmed a successful nitration process. In addition, the highest nitrogen content obtained from cotton, ramie, and kenaf fibers was 10.3%, 10.93% and 11.23%, respectively. Based on the research findings, ramie and kenaf fibers show great potential as raw materials for producing NC with higher nitrogen content compared to cotton.