Value-added Utilization of Lignocellulosic Biomass Wastes via Regeneration and Depolymerization of Cellulose Fibres

• Main Author: Voon, Lee Ken
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: unimas 2017
• Subjects: Q Science (General); QC Physics; QD Chemistry
• Online Access: http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/20972/3/Value-added%20utilization%20of%20lignocellulosic%20fulltext.pdf; http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/20972/

Lignocellulosic biomass (LB) is most abundant renewable source in Earth. However, annual increasing generation and improper disposal of LB wastes had caused serious environmental issues. The adverse environmental impact could be mitigated through conversion of LB wastes into useful products. In this research, value-added utilization lignocellulosic biomass wastes were explored via two different approaches: depolymerization of cellulose fibres to produce cello-oligomers of various chain lengths, and regeneration of cellulose in the form of cellulose beads with tailored mean diameters. In first approach, cellulose fibres extracted from printed paper wastes were effectively depolymerized by dissolution in an ionic liquid and in the presence of Amberlyst 15 DRY as a catalyst, to generate cello-oligomers of desirable chain lengths under mild reaction conditions. The yield of cello-oligomers, their chain length as well as their mean DPw distributions were modulated by varying the depolymerization conditions. In addition, cellulose fibres derived from LB wastes such as sawdust, sugarcane bagasse, corn cobs, sago pith wastes were depolymerized in ionic liquid in the presence of a solid acid catalyst.