Extraction of cellulose

The samples were collected from the mountains of Malakand, KPK, and were grinded into smaller particles. The samples were extracted through the Soxhlet apparatus with different solvents to remove the soluble extractive and wax substances. The raw cellulose was treated in autoclave with alkaline substances for bond breaking. Most polar substances were removed through EDTA and hydrogen peroxide. Moreover, the samples were purified through acetic acid and nitric acid solution. The cellulose was neutralized by double distilled water until a neutral pH was obtained. The purified cellulose was characterized through different analytical techniques such as X-ray Diffraction (XRD) shows high crystallinity of 73%. FTIR shows the removal of different functional groups from the surface. TGA indicates that the cellulose obtained from different sources of wood showed that the loss of water takes place at 100οC, soluble extracted at 250οC, and lignin and hemicellulose at 350οC. SEM indicates that the surface morphology and shape are highly visible pores. The isolated cellulose has high crystallinity, thermal stability, and good mechanical properties.