Estimation of crystallinity and crystallite size of cellulose in benzylated fibres of oil palm empty fruit bunches by X-ray diffraction

Benzylated fibre (BzF) was produced from fibres of oil palm empty fruit bun ches (EFBs) using benzyl chloride in an etherification reaction for 2 h at two reaction temperatures, 100 degreesC and 110 degreesC. Estimates based o n X-ray diffraction data show decreases of approximately 15 and 17%, respec tively, in the crystallinity of cellulose, and 36 and 54% in the size of cr ystallites cellulose in the BzF(100 degreesC) and BzF(110 degreesC) samples . This indicates a greater effect on crystallite size than on crystallinity because the conversion of sonic crystalline cellulose in the crystallite d omain into an amorphous state is accompanied by the breakage of the crystal lite domain into smaller sizes. Furthermore, the results also indicate that the increase of reaction temperature from 100 degreesC to 110 degreesC res ults in a larger change in crystallite size than in crystallinity.