Synthesis of cellulose triacetate from millet husk cellulose: comparison of chemical and electrochemical methods

Abstract In a sustainable development perspective, lignocellulosic resources are increasingly valued in the field of membrane production as an alternative to petroleum-based raw materials. In this study, cellulose triacetate (CTA) was synthesized from millet husk for future application in the production of nanofiltration membranes. After optimization of the cellulose extraction process, acetylation was carried out by chemical and electrochemical means. The results obtained showed respective degrees of substitution of 2.67 for the chemical method and 2.8 for the electrochemical method. The acetylation yields are 87.4 and 83.2 % for the chemical and electrochemical methods, respectively. The CTA obtained was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis, and X-ray diffraction. Thermogravimetric analysis was used to measure the thermal stability of the different products. CTA was compared to a commercially available derivative. Acetylation by electrochemical method was shown to be a promising alternative to overcome the constraint of using large quantities of chemicals for the treatment of bio-based products.