Effect of Pyrolysis Temperature on Changes in Mass, Dimensions, and Morphology of Cellulose Nanocrystal-Based Carbon

Mahyuni Harahap (Politeknik Negeri Medan)
Muhammad Balyan
Sahat Fernando Bakara

Jurnal Industri Samudra
Vol 7 No 2 (2026): Jurnal Industri Samudra

Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) offer renewable alternatives to conventional carbon precursors. This study examined how pyrolysis temperature affects the mass, dimensions (diameter and thickness), and surface morphology of CNC-derived carbon. CNCs with 80% crystallinity were compressed into 13 mm films under 10 tons of pressure and pyrolyzed at 300, 600, and 900 °C under nitrogen at 10 °C/min. Mass and dimensional changes were measured, and morphology was examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Mass loss increased from 49.1% at 300 °C to 73.7% at 600 °C and 76.0% at 900 °C. Diameter and thickness also decreased, with the largest changes occurring between 300 and 600 °C and smaller changes thereafter, suggesting that most thermal decomposition occurred before 600 °C. Carbon appeared chunk-like at 300 °C, porous at 600 °C, and denser, ordered, and flake-like at 900 °C. These findings provide an overview of CNC behavior and morphology as biomass-based carbon precursors