ConclusionsMicrocrystalline cellulose prepared from Alfa fibres, one of themost abundant sources of cellulose in Algeria, has properties similarto those of commercial microcrystalline cellulose. FTIR and HPAEC-PAD analyses demonstrated that most hemicellulose and lignin ofthe raw fibres were removed during the extraction process. X-raydiffraction and NMR of the various cellulose samples revealed thatacid hydrolysis of Alfa-C significantly increased overall crystallinity,due to preferential degradation of the amorphous components.The microcrystalline cellulose sample prepared exhibits improvedthermal stability properties, thus making it promising candidatefor use in many fields. It can be concluded from these results thatthe microcrystalline cellulose sample obtained from Alfa fibreshas great potential applications in reinforcedpolymer composites,pharmaceuticals and food industry.