Extraction of Cellulose Nanocrystals (NCC) from Cotton Waste and Morphology of NCC Obtained with Different Alkali Neutralization

The extraction of cellulose nanocrystals (NCC) from cotton textile waste, constituted by 70% long fibers and 30% cotton linter, was performed through the action of sulfuric acid followed by solution neutralization with two different alkalis, namely ammonia and sodium bicarbonate, which yielded microcellulose (MCC), then centrifuged to NCC. The action of the two alkalis was compared as for fiber repeatability and morphology, and the results obtained using ammonia were considered more suitable for possible introduction of NCC for the repair of historical paper artifacts. This evidence was obtained by applying optical/polarized light microscopy observation and dynamic light scattering (DLS) results.