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Theses and dissertations (Applied Sciences)

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    Comparison of lignin yield from sugarcane bagasse pellets using liquid hot water and ionic liquid pretreatment methods
    (2019) Gnana, Gueh Charles; Deenadayalu, Nirmala
    In this research work, lignin yield from sugarcane bagasse pellets (SBP) was investigated after treatment of sugar cane bagasse with liquid hot water (LHW) and enzymatic hydrolysis followed by ionic liquids (ILs) and only ionic liquids pretreatment methods. In the LHW and ionic liquid methods, the SBP were first treated with LHW at 200 °C, for 30 minutes in a suitable reactor, for removal of hemicellulose. The complex cellulignin residue was treated separately with either of two ionic liquids namely: 1-ethyl-3- methylimidazolium acetate ([Emim][OAc]) or 1-butyl-3- methylimidazolium hydrogen sulphate ([Bmim][HSO4]), using microwave digestion at varying time intervals. Theionicliquidmethodinvolvedthepretreatmentofsugarcanebagasse pelletswith either 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate or 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hydrogen sulphate followed by microwave digestion at varying time intervals. Ultraviolet (UV) spectroscopy at a wavelength of 280 nm was used as a tool for quantification of lignin. The different functional groups of the extracted lignin were confirmed using attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) provided information on thermal characteristics of the extracted lignin. In addition to material characterization, mixed factorial ANOVA was performed to compare the extracted lignin yield using the LHW and IL and the ionic liquid pretreatment methods. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to identify the C5 sugars in the hydrolysate after LHW pretreatment. X-ray diffraction (XRD) was used to identify cellulose peaks of cellulignin and SBP and ILs treated samples. The results indicated that the lignin yield from sugarcane bagasse pellets after liquid hot water treatment and enzymatic hydrolysis was 37.8 % (m/v). The highest percentage yield of lignin extracted from the complex cellulignin (LHW and IL) was found to be 68.00 % (m/v) and 32.04 % (m/v) for [Emim][OAc] and [Bmim][HSO4], respectively for the optimized reaction time of 10 minutes. However, 67.25 % (m/v) and 48.94 % (m/v) of the extracted lignin were obtained for the pretreated SBP with [Emim][OAc] and [Bmim][HSO4], respectively for a reaction time of 20 minutes. This comparative study revealed that, there is no significant difference between the yield of lignin extracted from the complex cellulignin (68.00%) and sugarcane bagasse pellets (67.25 %).The sugarcane bagasse pellets is the preferred method since it doesn’t require high energy input.
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    Selective extraction of lignin from lignocellulosic biomas using ionic liquids
    (2016) Mkhize, Thandeka, Y.; Deenadayalu, Nirmala; Reddy, P.
    Globally there is a drive for the use of renewable materials for the production of biofuels or high-end value chemicals. The current production of chemicals from crude oil refining is unsustainable and leads to global warming effects. Biomass is the most attractive renewable energy source for biofuel or fine chemical production. Sugarcane bagasse is a by-product of the sugar milling industry and is abundantly available. In this study lignin was sequentially extracted using ionic liquids. The ionic liquids (ILs) 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate ([Emim][OAc]) and triethylammonium hydrogen sulfate ([HNEt3][HSO4]) were used to fractionate the sugarcane bagasse. The pre-treatment of sugarcane bagasse was carried out at different temperatures ranging from 90 - 150 0C and reaction times ranging from 1 - 24 h in a convection oven at a 10 % biomass loading. Both ILs were able to dissolve the raw bagasse samples at 120 0C with [Emim][OAc] giving a lignin maxima of 28.8 % and a low pulp yield of 57 % after 12 h; [HNEt3][HSO4] gave a lignin recovery of 17.2 % and low pulp yield of 58.5 % after 6 h. Regenerated lignin was obtained by adding ethanol/ water to the mixture followed by vacuum filtration. The regenerated pulp materials were characterized by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) to study the morphology; Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) to study the characteristic bands and thermal analysis to study the thermal stability.