In this work, we successfully isolated microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) from oil palm empty fruit bunch
(OPEFB) fiber-total chlorine free (TCF) pulp using acid hydrolysis method. TCF pulp bleaching carried
out using an oxygen–ozone–hydrogen peroxide bleaching sequence. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR)
spectroscopy indicates that acid hydrolysis does not affect the chemical structure of the cellulosic fragments.
The morphology of the hydrolyzed MCC was investigated using scanning electron microscopy
(SEM), showing a compact structure and a rough surface. Furthermore, atomic force microscopy (AFM)
image of the surface indicates the presence of spherical features. X-ray diffraction (XRD) shows that the
MCC produced is a cellulose-I polymorph, with 87% crystallinity. The MCC obtained from OPEFB-pulp
is shown to have a good thermal stability. The potential for a range of applications such as green nano
biocomposites reinforced with this form of MCC and pharmaceutical tableting material is discussed