Extraction and characterization of cellulose from corn husk waste

• Autores: Mayta Paucara, Sergio Manuel, Quintana Caceda, Maria Esther, Norabuena Meza, Edgar Waldo, Tello Sánchez, Ronald Arnold
• Formato: artículo
• Fecha de Publicación: 2023
• Institución: Universidad Nacional de Ingeniería
• Repositorio: Revistas - Universidad Nacional de Ingeniería
• Lenguaje: español
• OAI Identifier: oai:oai:revistas.uni.edu.pe:article/1676
• Enlace del recurso: https://revistas.uni.edu.pe/index.php/tecnia/article/view/1676
• Nivel de acceso: acceso abierto
• Materia: Celulosa; residuos de maiz; blanqueamiento; Cellullose; Corn waste; bleaching

Corn is the most cultivated cereal in the world, however, only 20% of the total mass corresponds to the edible part, leaving the rest as wastes, whose recovery is still a challenge. In particular, in Peru, maize crop residues usually get disposed by open-air incineration, impacting the nearby grounds and releasing greenhouse gases. Addressing this problem, this research focus on the extraction of cellulose from corn husk waste through the combination of both mechanical (drying, milling and sieving) and chemical treatments (alkaline treatment and bleaching). The cellulose was extracted with a 79.4% yield while its purity was estimated on 70.3%. On the other hand, the crystallinity and morphology of the sample were characterized by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy, respectively. The diffractogram allowed the identification of intense peaks in a characteristic pattern of cellulose with a crystallinity index of 45, while SEM images showed a change on the structure of the material from irregular and rough to a fibrillated network arrangement. Likewise, the spectral bands of cellulose were characterized by FT IR spectroscopy. This research verified the feasibility of cellulose extraction and provides a new approach for the valorization of the corn residues in Peru.