Abstract:
There are 23% of oil palm empty fruit bunches (OPEFB) waste produced from every ton of oil palm every
year. The cellulose content in OPEFB was 33,3% so that it can synthesize into cellulose triacetate has applications for
dialysis membranes, film layers, and cinema films. Cellulose triacetate can be synthesized from cellulose from OPEFB
using acetylation reaction. The purpose of this study was to determine the synthesis process condition of cellulose
triacetate. This research, microcrystalline Cellulose (MFC)/acetic acid glacial and temperature system is used to
synthesize cellulose triacetate with transesterification. Microcrystalline cellulose/Acetic acid glacial (10;17.5; 25), acetic
anhydride and sulfate acid was preferred as raw material, catalyst and acetylation reactants respectively. Results of this
reaction were characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and degree of acetylated to confirm the
chemical structure of cellulose triacetate produced.
