Title
Optimization of carboxymethyl cellulose production from rice straw using response surface methodology
Authors
HENY HERAWATI, NOVITRI HASTUTI, MUCHAMAD BACTIAR, FERI KUSNANDAR, FITRIANI FITRIANI, ICEU AGUSTINISARI, FETRIYUNA FETRIYUNA, INDAH KURNIASARI, FITRIA RIANY ERIS, WAYAN TRISNAWATI, ADE SAEPUDIN, ROSNIYATI SUWARDA, MOHAMAD ANA SYABANA, NINA HANDAYANI and ZULFATUN NAJAH

Received October 16, 2026
Published Volume 60 Issue 5-6 May-June
Keywords rice straw, carboxymethyl cellulose, agricultural waste, physicochemical properties, optimization, sodium monochloroacetate, reaction time

Abstract
Rice straw is an abundant lignocellulosic residue with potential as a feedstock for carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) production. This study optimized sodium monochloroacetate (NaMCA) dosage and reaction time for obtaining CMC derived from Ciherang rice straw using response surface methodology with a central composite design (RSM-CCD). The optimal conditions, 4.40 g NaMCA and 3 h, yielded 25.31% CMC with pH 7.58, whiteness of 74.23%, moisture content of 4.12%, purity of 94.09%, viscosity of 6.8 cP, NaCl content of 5.91%, and desirability of 0.58. ANOVA showed that NaMCA dosage and reaction time significantly affected the yield and pH, whereas the other responses were less sensitive. FTIR confirmed characteristic CMC functional groups, and SEM revealed a distinct fibrillar morphology relative to commercial CMC. Although the product did not fully satisfy food-grade requirements for viscosity and NaCl content, the findings support Ciherang rice straw as a sustainable CMC feedstock and establish a predictive framework for further process optimization.