Extraction of crystalline nanocellulose (CNC) from date palm mat fibers and its application in the production of nanocomposites with polyvinyl alcohol and polyvinylpyrrolidone blended films

The preparation of polymer nanocomposites has drawn a lot of interest because of its numerous industrial uses. The chemical composition of the date palm mat (DPM) fibers was analyzed. Raw DPM fibers were used to extract the cellulose, which was then converted into crystalline nanocellulose (CNC) by acid hydrolysis. Extraction of CNC from raw DPMs was confirmed by FTIR, Particle size and SEM studies. The results of the zeta potential test showed that CNC had good stability. This CNC was used as a reinforcing material to create nanocomposite films. The CNC reinforced PVA and PVA/PVP nanocomposite films were made utilizing the solution casting technique with varying weight percentage from 3 to 12% CNC. Tensile characteristics, SEM, and water absorption characteristics of nanocomposite films were examined. The tensile characteristics of the nanocomposite films showed a noticeable improvement.