Effects of a Semi-Mechanical Technique on the Properties of Nanocellulose from Defatted Rice Bran

Defatted rice bran (DRB), an underutilized agricultural waste, was subjected to sequential pretreatment steps to isolate the cellulose from the lignocellulosic materials. Further extraction by using 55 wt % sulfuric acid combined with ultrasonication was able to produce nanocellulose (NCso). Ultrasonication effectively reduced the particle size and increased the crystallinity of NCso compared to the control (NCcont). Unchanged functional groups and an insignificant decrease of the degradation temperature of NCso demonstrated the negligible impact of ultrasound on the chemical structure and thermal stability of the extracted nanocellulose. Nanocellulose isolated by the described technique has potential applications as biocomposite material and emulsifier in stabilizing emulsions.