Harnessing economic potential of methylcellulose from Wheat Straw: A Review

Wheat Straw is the agricultural by-product obtained from different parts of wheat plant like stem, leaves etc. Wheat Straw is rich in cellulosic fibers, hemicelluloses, proteins, lignin and ash. All these elements together make wheat straw as most important and balanced substrate for microbial cultures for its diverse applications in fermentation, food, feed, medicine industries and in fields to increase soil fertility. It is the cheapest or low cost source of natural substrate. Methylcelluloses is prepared and characterized from wheat straw. Alpha- Cellulose of wheat straw is used to prepare methylcellulose.Total chloride free(TCF)method is used to bleach the pulps with hydrogen peroxide. Iodomethane is used to synthesize methylcelluloses from TCF bleached pulps. Methylation is carried out in isopropanol with iodomethane at 60degree Celsius for 22 h and after that the TCF bleached pulps is mercerized in 40% NaOH solution for one hour. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra of the synthesized methylcelluloses showed the existence of methoxyl groups on methylcellulose. The degrees of substitution of the synthesized methylcelluloses is measured by13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The molecular weights of the watersoluble methylcelluloses is determined by size exclusion chromatography (SEC). Intrinsic viscosities of the synthesized methylcelluloses was measured in distilled water, 4% NaOH or dimethyl sulfoxide(DMSO). Methylcelluloses with better properties, such as greater degrees of substitution, molecular weights, viscosities, and intrinsic viscosities, were prepared from the pulps with higher accessibilities and reactivities.Watersoluble and alkali-soluble methylcellulose yields is determined by solvent extraction. Pulping severity is key factor influencing the properties of the methylcellulose prepared.