Pembuatan Karboksimetil Selulosa dari Selulosa Mikrobial (Nata de cassava)

Abstract

Utilization of microbial cellulose from nata de cassava as carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) provide an alternative raw material of cellulose in manufacturing CMC. The purpose of this study is to investigate carboxymethyl cellulose manufacturing process using nata de cassava and to determine the best concentration of natrium hydroxide solution in alkalization to produce the CMC with the characteristics that qualified, characterized from the parameter degree of substitution (ds), purity, acidity, concentration of sodium chloride (NaCl), moisture and viscosity of CMC solution. The methods of manufacturing CMC are alkalization and etherification process. Alkalization produces alkali cellulose which has a higher reactivity than cellulose. Etherification is an exchange process of hydroxyl group with carboxyl group. In this research, natrium hydroxide with concentration 30%, 35%, and 40% were used in alkalization. Based on this research, the best product was made using natrium hydroxide concentration 35% with the characteristics of the degree of substitution is 0.9613, moisture 6.4228%, acidity 7.97, viscosity 148.52 cP, NaCl content 0.0291%, and purity 93.58%.