Thin films of cellulose acetate nanofibers from cigarette butt waste

Abstract

Cigarette waste pollutes the environment and is a desired problem to be addressed by humans. However, such waste can be recycled by converting it into raw material for the manufacture of new products. In this study, cigarette butt waste was collected and used for fabricating thin films of cellulose acetate nanofibers (TFCAN) through electrospinning or acid hydrolysis processes. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) were employed to characterize the structural and thermal properties of TFCAN. FTIR and TGA results for the TFCAN obtained from acid hydrolysis process showed similar behavior for cellulose nanocrystals. The images from scanning electron and atomic force microscope confirmed the obtaining of TFCAN.