article · Heliyon
Agricultural waste such as sugarcane bagasse offers a viable raw material for producing high-value cellulose materials. In this study, chemically purified cellulose and cellulose nanocrystals were extracted from sugarcane bagasse using acid, alkali, and bleaching treatments, followed by sulfuric acid hydrolysis. Analytical testing confirmed the progressive removal of non-cellulosic components such as lignin and hemicellulose, accompanied by a rise in material crystallinity. The resulting cellulose nanocrystals displayed a spherical shape with an average diameter of 38 nanometres, which is half the size of the chemically purified cellulose precursor. These nanocrystals demonstrated low particle agglomeration and enhanced structural order, showing strong potential for use as bionanocomposites in biomedical and environmental contexts while aiding agricultural waste reduction.
Sugarcane bagasse is an abundant agricultural by-product that presents disposal challenges for sugar processors. Converting this waste into purified cellulose and nanoscale crystals provides a sustainable route to generate high-value materials. These nanomaterials can support greener industrial practices by replacing synthetic additives in healthcare products and environmental treatment systems.
This work represents early-stage laboratory research demonstrating the extraction of functional nanomaterials from agricultural waste. Potential applications highlighted include bionanocomposites for biomedical devices and wastewater treatment systems. The approach offers sugar manufacturing companies an opportunity to valorise their solid waste streams, though scaling the chemical extraction and hydrolysis processes beyond laboratory batches will be required before commercial adoption.
AI-generated from the published abstract. Always read the original work before citing.
Agro-wastes such as sugar cane bagasse can be explored for use in different aspects. Its applicability as a source of cellulose has attracted much interests especially in biomedical field among various applications. In the current work chemically purified cellulose (CPC) and cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) were effectively extracted from sugarcane bagasse (SCB). The cellulose was obtained by chemical treatment of SCB using HNO<sub>3</sub>, NaOH and a bleaching agent. Nanocrystals were further prepared from the extracted cellulose using H<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>4</sub> hydrolysis followed by washing with deionized water and acetone. The obtained materials were characterized for surface morphological using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. The thermal properties were evaluated using TGA/DTG. The FTIR showed the disappearance of the peaks responsible for the hemicelluloses and lignin. These results were confirmed by TGA which proved gradual elimination of non-cellulosic constituents. X-ray Diffractometer depicted an increase in crystallinity occasioned by sequential treatments to get the cellulose nanocrystals. Cellulose nanocrystals had a spherical shape with a diameter of 38nm as compared to the chemically purified cellulose which had a diameter of 76nm. The CNCs prepared with this method were seen to be less agglomerated and more crystalline thus possess a higher potential as bionanocomposite either for biomedical applications or for wastewater treatment among other industrial application. This approach also provides an opportunity for the sugar companies to effectively manage their waste product.
This page summarises published work. The authoritative version sits with the publisher.
DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2019.e02635
Is something wrong with this record? Report it or request removal.
Discussion
Have you built on this work, tried to replicate it, or seen it applied in practice? Share what you know. Verified researchers and MARATTO™ domain experts can open a discussion, and any member can reply. Contributions are reviewed before they appear.
No discussion yet. Open the first thread.
New to MARATTO™? Create a free account.
