Done by: Hallaw group School Name: AlEman secondary school for girls Preparation of cellulose micro and nanofibers from date palm leaves. • Cellulose as an abundant biopolymer was traditionally used for clothing, construction, furniture and paper making for thousands of years. The most complex form of cellulose in nature is in the cell walls of plants. In Qatar, date palms are the largest source of cellulose. The waste from date palms (particularly the leaves) has low utilization and is usually incinerated. However, since they represent a valuable source of cellulose that can also be transformed into nanocellulose and nanocrystals, we recently initiated activities in this field.

1. Hallaw Goup
Aleman secondary school
Students:
1.Amna Almadeed. 2.Sara Alsaigel.
Supervisor: prof. Igor Krupa
I am a Researcher (9th Cycle)
Utilization of renewable natural waste for
advanced applications.

2. • Introduction
• Aim of Research
• Experimental work
• Conclusion
• Acknowledgment

4. most complex form of
Cellulose is in cell walls
of plants.
The largest source of
cellulose in Qatar are
date palms (leaves)

6. Powder Mats/membranes
Foils Gels
Forms of cellulose nanofibers

7. Applications
1) Oil recovery/heavy metals capturing
2) Food/Hygiene/Absorbent products.
3) paper/paperboard
Cellulose structure

8. 2
Aim of research:

9. 3

10. 3. Centrifuge
6. SEM5. Oven
2. Balance1. Blender
4. Sonicator

11. 4
Step2:
Powderized the
date palm
leaves.
Step 1:
Cut the date
palm leaves to
small pieces.

12. 5
Step 3:
Prepared
ammonium per
sulfate solution
(APS)
Step 4:
Mixed
powdered date
palm leaves with
APS + Heated it
at 60oC overnight
Oil Bath used

13. •Step 5:
centrifuged to
separate between
cellulose micro
and nanofibers
and Ammonium
Per sulfate (APS).
• Step 6:
Increased pH of
Cellulose fibers.
Add NaOH

14. Step 7:
Separation of Cellulose by:
to get rid of all
agglomeration.
to separate
between micro and
nanofibers.
1
2

15. Step8:
Nanocellulose samples

17. -pure palm leaves -highest concentration of nanofibers
-low concontration of nanofibers -lowest concentration of nanofibers

20. Acknowledgement
• We would like to thank:
– Al-Bairaq Team (CAM, Qatar University)
– Project Supervisors: prof. Igor , Dr. Patrik , Eng. Haneen
– School Teachers: Mrs. Rasha and Mrs. Heba
– Central Laboratory Unit for SEM
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