Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
This study aims to comprehensively investigate the effect of microwave-assisted alkali pretreatment on delignification and changes in composition, functional groups, morphology, and crystallinity structure of pineapple core waste biomass. Pretreatment was carried out using 0.03 M ammonia solution through microwave heating at 600 W power for 5 minutes. Delignification and composition were determined using biomass compositional analysis method from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), functional groups were characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), surface morphology was characterized using a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), and crystallinity was characterized by the X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) method. The results showed that the alkali pretreatment with microwaves was able to reduce the lignin content from 23.443% to 19.71%, increase the hemicellulose content from 39.903% to 45.967%, and maintain the cellulose content at 34.317% from 36.653%. FTIR analysis showed a weakening of the lignin aromatic band and changes in the hydroxyl group. SEM analysis showed visible morphological changes in the biomass structure which was initially dense and regular to become rougher, cracked, and containing cavities. XRD analysis showed a decrease in the crystallinity index which indicates the occurrence of partial disruption of the cellulose crystal structure. Based on overall results, microwaves-assisted alkali pretreatment using ammonia showed effectiveness in influencing the characteristics of pineapple core biomass, especially in the delignification process and changes in biomass structure.
Keywords: pineapple core waste, lignocellulose, alkali pretreatment, microwave-assisted, characterization
Article Details
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).