Revista Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad de Antioquia, No.110, pp. 77-85, Jan-Mar 2024
Comparison of treatments for cellulose pulp
from agro-industrial wastes from the Amazon
region
Comparación de tratamientos para pasta de celulosa de residuos agroindustriales de la
región amazónica
Grober Panduro-Pisco 1*, Angie Stefani Amasifuen-Rengifo1, Edinson Rubina-Arana 1, David León
Moreno 1
1Facultad de Ciencias Forestales y Ambientales, Departamento de Conservación de Recursos Naturales, Universidad
Nacional de Ucayali. Carretera Federico Basadre km 6, Pucallpa-Perú.
CITE THIS ARTICLE AS:
G. Panduro-Pisco, A. S.
Amasifuen-Rengifo, E. E.
Rubina-Arana and D. León
Moreno ”Comparison of
treatments for cellulose pulp
from agro-industrial wastes
from the Amazon region”,
Revista Facultad de Ingeniería
Universidad de Antioquia, no.
110, pp. 77-85, Jan-Mar 2024.
[Online]. Available:
https://10.17533/udea.
redin.20230520
ARTICLE INFO:
Received: August 17, 2022
Accepted: May 08, 2023
Available online: May 09, 2023
KEYWORDS:
Amazonia; biomass; organic
compounds; distilled water;
Mohr’s salt
Amazonía; biomasa;
compuestos de agua destilada;
Sal de Mohr
ABSTRACT: Agroindustrial waste (AIW) is a potential source of cellulose, which can be
obtained through different treatments. In this study, we evaluated four delignification
treatments (10% sodium hydroxide, 50% ethanol, distilled water, and 25% Mohr’s salt) to
obtain cellulose pulp from four Amazonian AIWs (banana peel, cassava peel, sugarcane
bagasse, and rice husk). Our results showed that sodium hydroxide treatment had the
highest lignin removal and increased cellulose content, while Mohr’s salt treatment had
the lowest cellulose yield and lignin removal. Banana peel and rice husk had the highest
cellulose yield, while cassava peel had the lowest. Distilled water treatment at medium
temperature had similar lignin removal and cellulose yield to the sodium hydroxide and
ethanol treatments. Our findings suggest that AIWs have great potential as a source of
cellulose and that these economical, simple, and eco-friendly treatments can be used to
obtain high-purity cellulose from AIWs.
RESUMEN: Los residuos agroindustriales (RAI) son una fuente potencial de celulosa, que
puede obtenerse mediante diferentes tratamientos. En este estudio, evaluamos cuatro
tratamientos de deslignificación (hidróxido de sodio al 10%, etanol al 50%, agua destilada
y sal de Mohr al 25%) para obtener pulpa de celulosa a partir de cuatro RAI amazónicos
(cáscara de banano, cáscara de yuca, bagazo de caña de azúcar y cascarilla de arroz). Los
resultados muestran que el tratamiento con hidróxido de sodio tuvo la mayor remoción
de lignina y aumentó el contenido de celulosa, mientras que el tratamiento con sal de
Mohr tuvo el menor rendimiento de celulosa y remoción de lignina. La cáscara de plátano
y la cáscara de arroz tuvieron el mayor rendimiento de celulosa, mientras que la cáscara
de yuca tuvo el menor. El tratamiento con agua destilada a temperatura media tuvo una
eliminación de lignina y un rendimiento de celulosa similares a los de los tratamientos
con hidróxido de sodio y etanol. Nuestros resultados sugieren que los RAI tienen un
gran potencial como fuente de celulosa y que estos tratamientos económicos, sencillos
y ecológicos pueden utilizarse para obtener celulosa de gran pureza a partir de RAI.
1. Introduction
Globally, approximately 100 billion metric tons of
agroindustrial waste (AIW) is generated each year
[1]. Much of this waste comes from industrial activity;
its management, use, and disposal represent a major
challenge in developing countries [2, 3]. In the Amazon
region, the increase in agro-industrial activity since
the 1960s [4] has resulted in a constant and growing
generation of this type of waste. The Ucayali region in
Peru is highly agro-industrial, with the main cultivated
crops being oil palm, palmito, cacao, sugar cane, rice,
camu camu, cavassa and banana. In most Amazonian
cities of Peru, there is a limited application of feasible and
efficient technologies to recycle these wastes and convert
them into products that could improve environmental
quality. This AIW has a high potential for use due to its
diverse chemical composition.
77
* Corresponding author: Grober Panduro-Pisco
E-mail: grober_panduro@unu.edu.pe
ISSN 0120-6230
e-ISSN 2422-2844
DOI: 10.17533/udea.redin.20230520 77

G. Panduro-Pisco et al., Revista Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad de Antioquia, No. 110, pp. 77-85, 2024
When AIW is not disposed of properly, it can cause
serious health and environmental problems. Much of
the biomass waste is left in the field to decompose
naturally, taken to landfills or dumps, or subjected to
thermal processes (i.e., incineration, burning, or charcoal
production). These processes, besides being inefficient,
generate greenhouse emissions that deteriorate air
quality [2]. Hence, the importance of developing effective
and eco-friendly strategies to manage this type of waste.
Fruit and vegetable peel in AIW are very significant.
As most of the peels are discarded as waste, they are
not reused and represent a serious disposal problem
[5]. Sugarcane bagasse and rice husks are among
the most abundant AIW; with their annual global
generation estimated to be 181 and 110 million tons,
respectively [6]. AIW can be reused for obtaining energy
(i.e., bioethanol, biodiesel, biogas, etc.), composting,
animal feed production, elaborating construction material,
and implementing environmental remediation strategies
[7]. However, in recent years, there has been extensive
research on biomass residues to extract and add value to
polymers such as cellulose, lignin, collagen, keratin, and
chitosan [2].
Bananas are tropical fruit consumed worldwide, and
there are many varieties. The banana peel is the main
residue and represents between 30 and 40% of the
wet weight of the fruit. This residue has been used
mainly used in composting, as animal feed, and in the
production of ethanol, enzymes, methane, proteins and
pectins. The banana peel is mainly composed of cellulose,
hemicellulose, pectin, and chlorophyll [5].
Similarly, cassava is one of the most important products
in countries such as Indonesia, or Nigeria. Cassava is
used as raw material for cassava starch production and
culinary use. Its leaves can be used as a vegetable or as
a natural medicine due to the large number of proteins
and other bioactive compounds it contains. The woody
part of the plant is used as cooking fuel. The processing
of cassava starch generates large amounts of waste,
including cassava peels [5].
In contrast, sugarcane is one of the most widely
grown crops in tropical and subtropical countries
worldwide. Sugarcane is used for juice extraction
and sugar production. About 80% of the world’s sugar
demand is met by sugarcane cultivation. The main residue
after processing is sugarcane bagasse, usually generated
after cleaning and juice extraction [8, 9].
Finally, rice is an essential food grown in more than
75 countries in the world. Every year, about 80 million
tons of rice husks are generated as waste. Rice husk is
the outer layer of rice; it is generated as a by-product of
milling and accounts for about 20% of the fresh weight of
total rice produced [10].
AIW is a natural source of polymers that are non-toxic,
biodegradable, and biocompatible, unlike fossil-resources
derived polymers. Cellulose, which is one of the most
abundant polymers, is widely used in the paper industry
[2]. It accounts for approximately 40-50% of plant and
woody biomass by weight and exhibits high strength while
being renewable and biodegradable. Cellulose is used in
various industries, such as textiles, paper, materials, food,
and pharmaceutical, and chemical industries. Obtaining
cellulose maximizes recycling and minimizes waste [11].
There are numerous technologies to extract cellulose
from biomass, classified as physical, chemical,
physicochemical, and biological [11]. Sodium hydroxide
is an alkaline chemical treatment and is widely used
for lignin removal from biomasses [12, 13]. Ethanol is a
preferred compound for organosolv chemical treatments,
that employ organic compounds at high temperatures
[14]. Other authors have used organic compounds at
low temperatures to remove lignin. For example, Wi
et al. [15] removed lignin from various materials using
hydrogen peroxide–acetic acid at 80°C, and Reales et al.
[16] evaluated lignin removal with an organosolv treatment
at 60°C.
However, these treatments have the disadvantage of
employing chemical compounds and producing hazardous
liquid waste during the process. Therefore, Mohr’s salt and
distilled water were selected as the other two treatments
based on the premise that they do not use hazardous
chemicals and are eco-friendly. Mohr’s salt has been
successfully used for paper production from sugarcane
leaves [17]. Hot water methods, as well as alkaline and
organosolv treatments, involve the use of pressure and
high temperatures [12]. Lower treatment temperatures
and shorter treatment periods contribute to reducing
production costs [18, 19]. Based on the principle of hot
water treatments, distilled water at medium temperature
was studied as a possible treatment for delignification.
This study addresses the research gap for more
environmentally friendly and sustainable methods for
obtaining cellulose from agroindustrial waste. While
previous studies have explored various treatments for
cellulose extraction, this research focuses specifically
on delignification treatments and their potential for
lignin removal and cellulose yield from a specific set
of agroindustrial waste samples. Furthermore, this
study evaluates the potential of simple and eco-friendly
technologies that can be used in resource-limited settings
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G. Panduro-Pisco et al., Revista Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad de Antioquia, No. 110, pp. 77-85, 2024
to obtain high-purity cellulose from waste materials,
contributing to the development of sustainable solutions
for waste management.
2. Experimental procedure
2.1 Sampling of agro-industrial waste
The AIW used in this study was obtained from the
processing of sugar cane, cassava, rice, and banana.
The waste samples were collected from the main
agro-industrial companies located in the provinces of
Coronel Portillo and Padre Abad in the Ucayali region of
Peru. The banana and cassava peels were collected from
the Campo Verde district, the sugarcane bagasse from
the Neshuya district, and the rice husks from the Callería
district (Figure 1).
Figure 1 Location of the sampling area
During the month of October 2020, a total of 15 kg of AIW
comprising sugarcane bagasse, banana peels, cassava
peels, and rice husks were collected (Figure 2). The
sugarcane bagasse was obtained from companies involved
in producing alcohol by fermentation of sugarcane; the
banana peels were obtained from chifles (thin slices of
fried green banana) production; the cassava peels were
obtained from cassava starch production; and the rice was
obtained from a company dedicated to rice milling.
2.2 Delignification treatments
Four delignification treatments were compared to obtain
cellulose pulp from the AIW under study: 10% sodium
hydroxide, 50% ethanol, distilled water, and 25% Mohr’s
salt. The mass (g) to volume (ml) ratio and cooking time
for each treatment are ’©ven in Table 1. Each treatment
was performed in triplicate.
Analytical-grade reagents were used in this research
work. The 10% sodium hydroxide solution was prepared
with 88.5% sodium hydroxide. Mohr’s salt was prepared
with a 40% saturated solution of ammonium sulfate
(NH4)2 SO4 and a saturated solution at 20°C of ferrous
sulfate heptahydrate (FeSO4 • 7H2O). Ethanol was
obtained from the distillation of sugar cane juice at a 90%
concentration which was then diluted to 15%.
Table 1 Delignification conditions for each treatment and
agro-industrial waste
Treatment Waste Ratio Time
(g:ml) (min)
10% sodium
Banana 1:10
75
hydroxide
peel
Cassava 1:10
peel
Cane 1.1:15
bagasse
Rice husk 1.1:15
Distilled
Banana 1:18.5
60
water
peel
Cassava 1:18.5
peel
Cane 1.1:15
bagasse
Rice husk 1.1:15
50%
Banana 1:8
60
ethanol
peel
Cassava 1:8
peel
Cane 1.1:15
bagasse
Rice husk 1.1:15
25% Mohr’s
Banana 1:8
75
salt
peel
Cassava 1:8
peel
Cane 1.1:15
bagasse
Rice husk 1.1:15
2.3 Extraction of cellulosic pulp
The methodology used for the delignification of the
residues and cellulose extraction is illustrated in Figure
3. As a pre-treatment, the residues were chopped with
scissors and then ground with a hand mill. Once each
residue was weighed, it was subjected to its respective
treatment. Cooking was carried out in a semi-industrial
three-burner gas stove at a constant temperature, for
the time established for each treatment. During this
process, the temperature was measured using a digital
laser infrared thermometer. Washing was done with
pressurized well water and the volume of water used was
related to the reagent release from the pulp. The cleaned
sample was filtered with a stainless-steel strainer and the
resulting pulp was oven-dried at 105 °C for 24 hours.
2.4 Cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin
analysis
Cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin content were
determined before and after treatments. Prior to cellulose,
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G. Panduro-Pisco et al., Revista Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad de Antioquia, No. 110, pp. 77-85, 2024
(a) (b)
(c) (d)
Figure 2 Samples of banana peel (a), cassava peel (b), sugarcane bagasse (c), and rice husks (d)
Figure 3 Delignification process of the AIW evaluated
hemicellulose, and lignin analysis; extracts were removed
from the sample. Extractives are compounds soluble
in neutral solvents that can interfere with subsequent
chemical analysis. The TAPPI 204 (Technical Association
of Pulp and Paper Industry – Extractive-free sample) norm
was followed.
Holocellulose content was estimated by the ASTM
(American Society for Testing and Materials) D-1104
method. 2 g of extract-free sample was placed into a 250
ml bottle containing 150 ml of distilled water, 0.2 ml of
acetic acid, and 1 g of sodium chlorite. The bottle was
placed in a water bath at 70-80°C, and every hour, for 5
hours, 0.22 ml of very cold acetic acid and 1 g of sodium
chlorite were added. After five hours, the bottle was placed
in an ice bath until it reached 10°C. Finally, we filtered
the sample and washed it with 500 ml of cold water. The
sample was dried at 105°C until a constant weight was
obtained.
After this procedure, the cellulose content was determined
according to the ASTM 1695-77 norm. For this test, 2 g of
holocellulose were sampled and mixed with 10 ml of 17.5%
sodium hydroxide at a constant temperature of 20°C in a
thermoregulating bath. After 2 minutes, 5 ml of sodium
hydroxide solution were added at 5-minute intervals until
a total of 25 ml was added. The mixture was then stirred
at 20°C for 45 minutes. We added 33ml of distilled water
at 20°C, and the crucibles with the samples were allowed
to stand for one hour before washing them with distilled
water. Then we added 15 ml of 10% acetic acid to the
cellulose collected in the crucible. After that, the acid was
removed, leaving the sample slightly covered for 3 min.
Finally, the sample was dried to determine the weight of
cellulose.
The percentage of acid-insoluble lignin was determined
with the sample free of extractives, using the procedure of
the TAPPI T222 om-98 standard or Klasson method. We
weighed 1 g of extractive-free sample and placed it in a 50
ml beaker. Then we added 15ml of 72% sulfuric acid and
stirred it for 2 hours until the sample acquired a blackish
color. The sample was then transferred to a 1L beaker,
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and the sulfuric acid was diluted to 4% by adding distilled
water, and gently boiled for 4 hours. After that time, the
sample was decanted, filtered, and dried at 105 °C for 24
hours.
After each treatment, the pulp yield was obtained
with Equation 1 [20].
Yield (%) = PS
MS
x100 (1)
Where Ps the dried weight of the pulp after treatment and
Ms is the initial dried weight of the pulp.
2.5 Statistical analysis
Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 26 software.
The difference between treatments was analyzed using
a one-way analysis of variance (Anova) and Tukey’s test
at a confidence level of 95%. Pearson’s correlation
coefficient was used to determine the relationship between
temperature and yield.
3. Results and discussion
3.1 Evaluation of chemical composition
Table 2 presents the chemical composition of the AIW
under study. Our results indicate that this residue has
the greatest potential for cellulose utilization compared
to other waste materials. Specifically, we found that
cassava peels have the lowest proportion of cellulose
and hemicellulose among the residues studied. In
contrast, the cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin contents
of banana peel vary greatly from those reported in other
studies. Many authors have attributed these differences
to variations in climate, geography, crop type [21], and
species [22, 23], highlighting the of conducting thorough
chemical analyses when evaluating potential sources of
cellulose fibers.
Furthermore, our study revealed that rice husks have a
higher initial cellulose content than the other residues
studied. Table 2 provides detailed information about the
cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin contents of the AIW
under study, supporting our conclusions about the relative
cellulose content of the different residues. Our results
provide valuable insights into the chemical composition of
these Amazonian AIW and highlight the potential for their
use in cellulose production.
3.2 Efficiency of treatments for waste
delignification
Figure 4 shows the initial and final content of cellulose
(Figure 4a), hemicellulose (Figure 4b), and lignin (Figure
Table 2 Delignification conditions for each treatment and
agro-industrial waste
Waste/Reference Cellulose RHemicellulose Lignin
Banana peel
This study 22.9 21.7 28.8
[24] 0.47 35.25 14.94
[25] 7.5 74.9 7.9
Rice husk
This study 29.9 13.5 22
[26] 32.7 21.3 15.3
[27] 25-35 18-21 26-31
Cassava peel
This study 19.3 8.1 25.2
[28] 14.8 50.3* 12.8
Sugarcane bagasse
This study 24.2 20.2 25
[29] 44.43 22.9 17.52
[30] 45-50 25-30 2.4-9
[31] 35.61 32.29 22.56
*: Polysaccharides (mainly starch + hemicellulose)
4c) for each of the four AIW treatments evaluated.
Sodium hydroxide was the most effective treatment
for hemicellulose removal in banana peel and rice
husks. Mohr’s salt was the most effective treatment
for hemicellulose removal in sugarcane bagasse. In the
case of cassava peels, no treatment was able to reduce
the hemicellulose content. Sodium hydroxide was the
most effective treatment for the removal of lignin in
banana peels, rice husk and sugarcane bagasse. The four
treatments achieved similar final lignin concentrations in
cassava peels (4.1 to 6.5%), with Mohr’s salt resulting in
the lowest concentration. Cassava had a very low final
cellulose content with all treatments (between 18% and
23.5%).
Banana peel and rice husk showed a greater increase
in cellulose concentration with the sodium hydroxide
treatment. Herlina et al. [32] investigated the effects of
sodium hydroxide on the chemical composition of corn
husks. They reported that sodium hydroxide treatment
was effective in removing non-cellulosic compounds,
such as lignin, and increasing the cellulose content in
both materials. For sugarcane bagasse, all treatments
had similar final cellulose concentrations (39.9 to 48.1%),
with the ethanol treatment resulting in the highest
concentration. Bernier et al. [33] compared the efficiency
of different pretreatment methods, including ethanol,
on sugarcane bagasse. They found that all treatments
resulted in similar final cellulose concentrations, but the
ethanol treatment had the highest yield. In the case of
cassava peels, the Mohr’s salt treatment resulted in the
highest final cellulose concentration (4.2%), although the
increase was very limited.
For banana peel, rice husk, and sugarcane bagasse, the
treatment with sodium hydroxide was able to considerably
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Table 3 Relation between temperature and yield
Treatment Waste Time Temperature Yield Pearson p-value R2
(min) (°C) (%) correlation (%)
coefficient
10% sodium
Banana 75 77.9 72.4 0.439 0.71 19
hydroxide
peel 1 %
0.34 73
Rice husk 75 77.3 65.3 -0.857 4 %
Cane 75 72.6 38.5 0.11 0.99 1%
bagasse 3
Cassava 75 74.7 20.4 0.990 0.09 98
peel 1 %
Distilled
Banana 60 55.3 71.3 -0.615 0.57 38
water
peel 8 %
0.40 65
Rice husk 60 58.8 77.6 -0.809 0 %
Cane 60 48.3 51.2 -0.500 0.66 25
bagasse 7 %
Cassava 60 56.3 18.3 -0.819 0.38 67
peel 9 %
50 %
Banana 60 54.2 76.8 -0.115 0.92 1%
ethanol
peel 7
0.05 99
Rice husk 60 47.3 64.6 -0.996 6 %
Cane 60 0.50 50.4 -0.945 021 89
bagasse 7 %
Cassava 60 52.4 18.0 0.260 0.83 7%
peel 3
25%
Banana 75 58.2 38.0 -0.884 031 78
Mohr’s salt
peel 0 %
0.66 25
Rice husk 75 52.6 60.9 0.504 3 %
Cane 75 50.5 48.9 -0.171 0.89 3%
bagasse 1
Cassava 75 48.4 23.4 0.091 0.94 1%
peel 2
Note.**. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (bilateral). *. Correlation is
significant at the 0.05 level (bilateral).
increase the cellulose composition by effectively removing
non-cellulosic compounds, especially lignin [34]. The
same occurred in cassava peel with Mohr’s salt treatment,
although the increase in the proportion of cellulose was
very limited. Herlina et al. [32] investigated the effect of
sodium hydroxide on the chemical composition of corn
husks. The study reported that the treatment was effective
in removing non-cellulosic compounds and increasing
the cellulose content. Banana peel had the highest yield
among the other residues; despite having a higher lignin
content, which could be detrimental to the amount of time,
inputs, and energy required to obtain cellulose pulp [35].
Cabascango et al. [36] investigated the yield and quality
of cellulose pulp obtained from different agroindustrial
residues, including banana peels. They reported that
banana peels had the highest yield of cellulose pulp
despite having a higher lignin content, which required
more time, inputs, and energy for removal.
The main advantages of sodium hydroxide treatment are
lignin removal and increased cellulose availability. Sodium
hydroxide treatment causes biomass swelling, which
increases the internal surface area of lignocellulosic
particles and weakens the structural integrity of
lignocellulose, breaking the bonds between lignin and
other carbohydrates such as cellulose and hemicellulose
[31].
Organosolv treatments are usually done at temperatures
between 160 and 220°C [35]. As the ethanol treatments
were done at a relatively low temperature (between 47 and
54°C); it may have not been as effective for lignocellulosic
degradation [37]. However, treatment conditions at
higher temperatures are more expensive and require
equipment designed with special materials to avoid
corrosion processes [38].
Although hot water treatments are usually performed
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(a)
(b)
(c)
Figure 4 Final cellulose (a), hemicellulose (b), and lignin (c)
contents for each waste after treatment
at temperatures higher than 100 °C [39], the distilled
water treatment had acceptable results in lignin removal
and cellulose recovery. In hot water treatments, the
lignocellulosic structure undergoes morphological
and chemical changes, such as the deacetylation of
hemicellulose and the rearrangement of the lignin
structure [40]. It is possible that the same mechanism
took place in this case.
Overall, under the evaluated conditions Mohr’s salt
had the greatest lignin removal rate. Surprisingly, the
distilled water treatment was more effective than the
alkaline treatment for lignin removal on banana peel,
cassava peel, and risk husk.
The variability of the results highlights that the
effectiveness of the treatments depends mainly on
the chemical and structural complexity of the polymers
present in the lignocellulose, which vary with the origin
and type of material [26]. These results lead to the
conclusion that there is no single pretreatment technology
applicable to different types of biomasses.
3.3 Relation between temperature and
cellulose yield
One important factor to consider when evaluating the effect
of temperature on cellulose yield is the specific treatment
being used. In this study, four different treatments were
evaluated, each with a different temperature. The average
temperature for the treatment using sodium hydroxide,
distilled water, ethanol and Mohr’s salt were 75.6°C,
54.6°C, 50.9°C and 52.4°C, respectively. Although there is
no significant correlation between temperature and yield
(Table 3), a proportional relationship between temperature
and yield was observed for each treatment. For example,
the highest yield for banana peel was obtained with sodium
hydroxide (72.4%), while the highest yield for yield for rice
husk was obtained with distilled water at 58.8°C (77.6%).
Gabhane et al. [37] studied the effect of substrate,
reaction time, and temperature on the delignification
and found that the most significant factor was the
substrate. They observed that time and temperature
had a negative and positive (although limited) relation,
respectively, with sugar reduction yield. Correia et
al. [41] reported a decrease in the reaction efficiency
with increasing temperature (between 150 and 190 °C)
and time (between one to three hours); however, the
temperatures and times evaluated were higher than those
in this study. These researchers indicated that lignin
and hemicellulose removal is more effective at higher
temperatures and shorter times. According to de Groot
et al. [42], delignification occurs in three stages. In the
first stage, a large amount of hemicellulose and little
lignin is removed. In the second stage (the dominant one),
there is a greater removal of lignin and hemicellulose. In
the third stage, lignin removal occurs more slowly as a
result of the greater inertness of the residual lignin in this
residual phase. Therefore, it is not recommended that
these treatments be applied at very high temperatures
and for long periods of time.
These findings suggest that the relationship between
temperature and cellulose yield can be complex and
dependent on a variety of factors, including the specific
treatment being used and the nature of the biomass being
processed.
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4. Conclusions
Agro-industrial activity in the Amazon region generates
a constant and increasing amount of AIW. In this study,
we evaluated four delignification treatments for cellulose
recovery from AIWs from the Ucayali region in Peru.
Among the four wastes evaluated, rice husks showed
the highest potential for cellulose recovery, followed by
banana peels, and sugarcane bagasse, while cassava
peels had the lowest potential for cellulose recovery.
The treatment with 10% sodium hydroxide showed the
highest percentage of lignin removal in banana peels,
rice husk and sugarcane bagasse. The treatment with
Mohr’s salt had the lowest yield for all wastes, while
the treatment with distilled water at medium temperature
(between 48 and 58°C) reduced the proportion of lignin
and increased the proportion of cellulose similarly to
conventional treatments (sodium hydroxide and ethanol).
Interestingly, the treatment with distilled water showed
potential as a simple, economical, and eco-friendly
technology for delignification and cellulose recovery.
Further characterization of the biomass after treatment
with distilled water is needed to identify the predominant
mechanisms involved. Overall, our findings demonstrate
the great potential of AIWs as a source of cellulose and
provide insights into effective and sustainable methods for
their recovery.
5. Declaration of competing interest
We declare that we have no significant competing interests
including financial or non-financial, professional, or
personal interests interfering with the full and objective
presentation of the work described in this manuscript.
6. Funding
This study was funded by the National University of Ucayali
through FOCAM (463-2021-UNU-R).
7. Author contributions
Grober Panduro Pisco: Conceptualization, Methodology,
Writing the Original draft, , Fund acquisition. Lady Di
Hoyos Shica: Formal analysis, Investigation. Edwar
Edinson Rubina Arana: Methodology, Formal Analysis,
Investigation. David Leon Moreno: Investigation.
8. Data availability statement
The datasets and data collection methods generated
during and/or analyzed during the current study are
available from the corresponding author on reasonable
request.
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