SYNTHESIS, CHARACTERIZATION AND COATING PROPERTIES OF CARBOXYMETHYL CELLULOSE FROM SOCK PRODUCTION WASTES

This study aims to evaluate and reuse defective products and cotton wastes resulting from factories producing socks in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, in order to solve the issues related to their disposal. For this purpose, microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) was obtained after isolating the cellulose from these wastes by treating them with sulfuric acid solutions. Then, under constant NaOH and monochloroacetic acid (MCA), CMC with the highest DS value of (0.65) was synthesized at 65 degrees C for 2 hours. When the reaction time was increased (3, 4 and 5 hours) at the same temperature, the DS value decreased by 0.39, 0.28, and 0.26, respectively. FT-IR, NMR, and XRD spectroscopic methods were used to characterize the structure of CMCs. SEM was used to investigate surface morphologies, and DTA-TG to examine thermal stability. In addition, the obtained CMCs were used as coatings for apples and tomatoes, and parameters such as weight loss, firmness, total soluble solids and ascorbic acid in uncovered and covered tomatoes and apples, were investigated; also, microbial analysis, and sensory analysis were performed. These analyzed parameters were improved for tomatoes and apples coated with CMC, compared with those uncoated.