In this work cassava bagasse, a by-product of cassava starch industrialization was investigated as a new
raw material to extract cellulose whiskers. This by-product is basically constituted of cellulose fibers
(17.5 wt%) and residual starch (82 wt%). Therefore, this residue contains both natural fibers and a considerable
quantity of starch and this composition suggests the possibility of using cassava bagasse to
prepare both starch nanocrystals and cellulose whiskers. In this way, the preparation of cellulose whiskers
was investigated employing conditions of sulfuric acid hydrolysis treatment found in the literature. The
ensuing materials were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction
experiments. The results showed that high aspect ratio cellulose whiskers were successfully obtained.
The reinforcing capability of cellulose whiskers extracted from cassava bagasse was investigated using
natural rubber as matrix. High mechanical properties were observed from dynamic mechanical analysis.