Isolation and characterization of cellulose from sugarcane bagasse fiber (Saccharum officinarum) via delignification and mercerization treatment using response surface modeling (RSM)

• Published in: Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery
• Main Author: Mubarak A.A.; Ilyas R.A.; Ngadi N.; Nordin A.H.; Alkbir M.F.M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH 2024
• Online Access: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85193799441&doi=10.1007%2fs13399-024-05692-1&partnerID=40&md5=43eaa18b8019bd1017b637b6ec844208

Bagasse from sugarcane, which is a significant waste product that is produced annually, presents issues for the environment. Nonetheless, its chemical make-up implies possibilities for creating a range of goods with additional value. The objective of this study was to obtain cellulose of excellent quality from sugarcane bagasse, considering its purity and optical qualities, which are important for various industrial uses such as serviette and paper manufacturing. The bleaching phase, which is crucial for determining the quality of cellulose, was optimized using the response surface approach. The parameters of NaClO2 concentration (10–30% w/w), temperature (75–100 °C), and duration (1–6 h) were adjusted to achieve optimal results. The results showed that using more concentrated NaClO2 or prolonging the bleaching period resulted in cellulose oxidation and decreased efficiency. The ideal conditions for bleaching sugarcane bagasse were determined to be a concentration of 20% (w/w) NaClO2 at a temperature of 75.5 °C for 3.5 h. Under these conditions, the amount of cellulose produced was as high as 42%. The effectiveness of the pulping and bleaching processes in producing valuable industrial products from sugarcane bagasse was proven by structural analysis using SEM and FTIR. Graphical Abstract: (Figure presented.) © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2024.