Characterization of Cellulose–Chitosan-Based Materials from Different Lignocellulosic Residues Prepared by the Ethanosolv Process and Bleaching Treatment with Hydrogen Peroxide

Abstract

Cellulose-based composites are promising biomaterials with potent applications in absorbents, cosmetics, and healthcare industries. In this study, the cellulose fractions from various agricultural residues, including bagasse (BG), rice straw (RS), corncob (CC), and palm fiber (PF), were prepared by the organosolv process using 70% v/v ethanol, followed by bleaching and forming with chitosan powder. Organosolv treatment at 180 °C of BG, RS, and PF and at 190 °C of CC for 60 min using H2SO4 as the catalyst was optimal for high cellulose recovery (87.9–98.9%) with efficient removals of the hemicellulose (59.3–86.0%) and lignin (61.1–73.7%). High cellulose purity in the solids (76.9–86.8%) was obtained after bleaching with 4% v/v H2O2 compared with that of 84.9% for commercial cellulose. The isolated celluloses were incubated with 2% w/v chitosan solution in acetic acid for the formation of the hydrogen-bonding interaction between the cellulose fiber and chitosan. The pieces of evidence of the obtained sheet materials were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis, and thermogravimetric analysis. All cellulose–chitosan materials absorbed water fraction in the range of 54.3–94.2 g/m2. Efficient oil absorption was observed for cellulose–chitosan sheets prepared from PF (96.3 g/m2) and CC (81.1 g/m2). This work demonstrated the preparation of potent biobased absorbents with a promising application in waste treatment and healthcare industries.

Optimization of the Sound Absorption Coefficient (SAC) from Cellulose–Silica Aerogel Using the Box–Behnken Design

“…Meanwhile, cellulose is the most abundant organic polymer on earth, with unique biodegradability, sustainability, eco-compatibility, and recyclability properties. 15 , 16 It is derived from waste newspaper, 17 − 19 cotton, 20 flax, 21 corn, 22 and rice straw. 23 − 26 The waste newspaper contains about 61% cellulose, 16% hemicellulose, and other inorganic fillers.…”

“…Biomass such as cellulose matrix is used as an alternative material for acoustic insulation. Meanwhile, cellulose is the most abundant organic polymer on earth, with unique biodegradability, sustainability, eco-compatibility, and recyclability properties. , It is derived from waste newspaper, − cotton, flax, corn, and rice straw. − The waste newspaper contains about 61% cellulose, 16% hemicellulose, and other inorganic fillers . The high cellulose content indicates its potential as an alternative source for cellulose production .…”

Valorisation of rice straw by obtaining active compounds and cellulosic materials for the development of biodegradable food packaging systems

“…After that, the material is washed with water to separate the alkali soluble from the more purified cellulosic fraction (Shen et al, 2022). The next step is bleaching, in which the material previously subjected to alkaline solution is treated with an bleaching solution based on oxidative chemicals, including chlorine-based solutions (NaClO, ClO2), a piperidine nitroxide radical compound (TEMPO), or an eco-friendlier peroxidebased solution such as hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) (Ho et al, 2019;Pongchaiphol et al, 2021). This step oxidises the aromatic rings present in the lignin structure and can hydrolyse a fraction of the remaining hemicellulose, giving rise to a cellulosic material with high whiteness and brightness, the so-called bleached cellulose fibre.…”