Influence of Sequential Acid-alkali Treatment on Palm Biomass Waste Properties

• Published in: Journal of natural fibers Vol. 19; no. 14; pp. 7502 - 7516
• Main Authors: Silva, Nycolle, Silva, Natália, Mulinari, Daniella
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Abingdon Taylor & Francis 28-10-2022; Taylor & Francis Ltd; Taylor & Francis Group
• Subjects: Absorption spectra; Biomass; characterization; diluted acid/alkaline pretreatment; Food industry; Fourier transforms; Hemicellulose; Infrared analysis; Infrared spectroscopy; Lignin; Lignocellulose; lignocellulosic material; palm fiber; Physical properties; Sulfuric acid; Thermal stability; Thermogravimetric analysis; treatment sequential; X-ray diffraction; 单纤维拉伸试验; 射线衍射分析; 扫描电镜分析; 热重分析; 碱处理; 红外光谱分析; 纤维素纤维特性; 莫柯尔万棕榈树; 表面改性
• ISSN: 1544-0478; 1544-046X
• DOI: 10.1080/15440478.2021.1951421

Palm biomass (Archontophoenix alexandrae) is a natural crop of the food industry, even with a high potential to produce sustainable and innovative products. Thus, the purpose of this work was to evaluate the effect of sequential acid-alkali treatment followed by precipitation with concentrated H
2
SO
4
on fiber's microstructure, chemical, and physical properties. So, the raw fiber, the pre-treated fiber, and the precipitated lignin were characterized by scanning eléctron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Results indicated changes in lignocellulosic structure by SEM analysis, which confirms the defibrillation due to the reduction of the average diameter and lengths of treated fiber compared to raw fiber (~50%). FTIR and XRD also proved the partial removal of amorphous structures such as hemicellulose and lignin components, with changes in the intensity of absorption bands and the increase in the crystalline index after the sequential treatment (~58%). TGA and DTG analysis provided evidence of an enhancement in treated fiber and lignin's thermal stability compared to raw fiber, confirming the adopted methodology's efficiency to isolate the main lignocellulosic structures and disrupting the biomass recalcitrance.