Characterization of microcrystalline cellulose prepared from lignocellulosic materials. Part II: Physicochemical properties

Microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) is a very important product in pharmaceutics, foods, cosmetics and other industries. In this work, MCC was prepared from rice and bean hulls (RH and BH). Hydrolysis of bleached pulps was carried out using hydrochloric or sulfuric acid to study the effect of the acid used on the properties of the produced MCC. MCC samples prepared from RH and BH were characterized through various techniques, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetry analysis (TGA) and X-ray diffraction and compared with commercial MCC. The mechanical properties of tablets made from MCC of different lignocellulosic materials were tested and compared to a commercial MCC.