Samar El-Mekkawi¹, Wafaa Abou-Elseoud², Shaimaa Fadel², Enas Hassan², Mohammad Hassan^2,*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.12, No.9, pp. 1573-1591, 2024, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2024.053589 - 25 September 2024

Abstract Recycling of paper sludge waste is crucial for establishing a sustainable green industry. This waste contains valuable sugars that can be converted into important chemicals such as ethanol, poly hydroxybutyrate, and lactic acid. However, the main challenge in obtaining sugars in high yield from paper sludge is the high crystallinity of cellulose, which hinders hydrolysis. To address this, pretreatment using phosphoric acid was optimized using response surface methodology to facilitate cellulose hydrolysis with minimal energy and chemicals. The created prediction model using the response surface method considered factors such as acid concentration (ranging from 60%… More > Graphic Abstract

Susi Susi^1,2,*, Makhmudun Ainuri^3,*, Wagiman Wagiman³, Mohammad Affan Fajar Falah³

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.12, No.3, pp. 513-537, 2024, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2024.045586 - 11 April 2024

Abstract Microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) is one of the cellulose derivatives produced as a result of the depolymerization of a part of cellulose to achieve high crystallinity. When implemented in other polymers, high crystallinity correlates with greater strength and stiffnes, but it can reduce the water-holding capacity. The acid concentration and hydrolysis time will affect the acquisition of crystallinity and water absorption capacity, both of which have significance as properties of hydrogel filler. The study aimed to evaluate the properties and select the MCC generated from varying the proportion of hydrochloric acid (HCl) and the appropriate hydrolysis… More > Graphic Abstract

Brody A. Frost, E. Johan Foster^*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.8, No.2, pp. 187-203, 2020, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2020.07940 - 01 February 2020

Abstract As the world's population exponentially grows, so does the need for the production of food, with cereal production growing annually from an estimated 1.0 billion to 2.5 billion tons within the last few decades. This rapid growth in food production results in an ever increasing amount of agricultural wastes, of which already occupies nearly 50% of the total landfill area. For example, is the billions of dry tons of cellulose-containing spent coffee grounds disposed in landfills annually. This paper seeks to provide a method for isolating cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) from spent coffee grounds, in order… More >

Galia Moreno, Karla Ramirez, Marianelly Esquivel, Guillermo Jimenez*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.6, No.4, pp. 362-369, 2018, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2017.634167

Abstract Cellulose, microcrystalline cellulose and nanocellulose were prepared from three agricultural waste resources: pineapple leaf (PALF), banana rachis (BR), and sugarcane bagasse (SCB). Each waste resource was first converted into microcrystalline cellulose which was subsequently converted into cellulose nanoparticles by using mild (30% w/v) and strong (60% w/v) sulfuric acid concentrations for extraction. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) were used to characterize each waste resource and extracted cellulosic materials. Furthermore, nanocelluloses were studied by zeta potential, size analysis, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Cellulose nanowhiskers were successfully obtained and More >

Melissa Camacho¹, Yendry Regina Corrales Ureña^*,1, Mary Lopretti², Leonel Bustamante Carballo¹, Galia Moreno¹, Brian Alfaro¹, Jose Roberto Vega Baudrit^1,3

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.5, No.5, pp. 271-279, 2017, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2017.634117

Abstract Pineapple peel biomass was used as raw material for nanocellulose extraction. The raw material is a residue from the Costa Rican fruit industry. The nanocellulose was obtained by a two-step hydrolysis process. Firstly, the cellulose was hydrolyzed with HCl to obtain microcrystalline cellulose. In the second step, the hydrolysis was carried out using H2SO4 to obtain smaller fragments and decrease the lignin content. A timedependent study was carried out to determine the particle size decrease depending on the contact time with the H2SO4. The chemical, thermal and morphological properties were analyzed by Fourier transform infrared More >

F. Luzi, E. Fortunati^*, D. Puglia, R. Petrucci, J.M. Kenny, L. Torre

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.4, No.3, pp. 190-198, 2016, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2015.634134

Abstract In this research, the revalorization of Posidonia oceanica leaf sea waste was studied and the acid hydrolysis processing times were modulated in order to optimize the extraction of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs). The obtained CNCs were deeply investigated. A two-step treatment was applied to extract cellulose nanocrystals from Posidonia oceanica leaves. First, a chemical treatment leads to the removal of lignin and production of holocellulose, while the second chemical process of acid hydrolysis allows the obtainment of cellulose nanocrystals in aqueous suspension. The unbleached and bleached leaves and cellulose nanocrystals were characterized by using thermogravimetric analysis, More >