Cellulose Xanthate–alginate Beads from Empty Palm Fruit Bunches: Synthesis, Characterization, and Application in Remazol Red Dye Degradation

Abstract

Alginate has been extensively employed as a biomaterial, but its practical applications are constrained by inherent drawbacks such as limited solubility, structural instability, brittleness, and inadequate mechanical strength. Empty palm fruit bunches (EPFB), an abundant lignocellulosic residue rich in cellulose, represent a renewable precursor for the synthesis of cellulose xanthate. In the present study, cellulose xanthate–alginate composite beads were fabricated via structural modification and intermolecular interactions to overcome the intrinsic limitations of alginate. The influence of NaCl as a porogen was investigated, and the applicability of the beads in the degradation of remazol red textile dye was evaluated. Beads were prepared using a mass ratio of alginate to cellulose xanthate of 1:3, with NaCl incorporated at concentrations of 3, 6, and 9% (w/v). Characterization techniques included Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, optical microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis. This study demonstrated that increasing NaCl concentration up to 9% enhanced the porosity and swelling capacity to 80% and 48.50%, respectively. Application tests revealed that TiO₂/cellulose xanthate–alginate beads achieved a maximum degradation efficiency of 85.59% for Remazol Red under UV irradiation with 0.8 g TiO₂. These findings highlight the potential of EPFB-derived cellulose xanthate–alginate beads as eco-friendly materials for textile dye wastewater treatment.