Development of a phosphorous-based biorefinery process for producing lignocellulosic functional materials from...

Area of Science:

• Biomass Valorization
• Green Chemistry
• Materials Science

Background:

• Coconut fiber is an abundant lignocellulosic biomass.
• Developing sustainable biorefinery processes is crucial for resource utilization.
• Phosphorylation can enhance material properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a one-pot biorefinery process for phosphorylating coconut fiber.
• To obtain modified coconut fiber (MCF), aqueous phase (AP), and coconut fiber lignin (CFL).
• To characterize the phosphorylated products and evaluate their potential applications.

Main Methods:

• Coconut fiber was treated with phosphoric acid (H3PO4) at 70°C.
• Characterization involved techniques like FTIR, NMR, TGA, and SEM.
• Analysis of the aqueous phase included sugar and inhibitor content.

Main Results:

• The process successfully phosphorylated MCF and CFL (0.54% and 0.23% wt. P, respectively).
• The aqueous phase contained high sugar levels and low inhibitors.
• Phosphorylation improved the thermal and thermo-oxidative properties of MCF and CFL.

Conclusions:

• A simple, fast, and eco-friendly biorefinery process was established.
• The phosphorylated fractions can be utilized as biosorbents, biofuels, flame retardants, and biocomposites.
• This approach offers a sustainable route for high-value material production from coconut fiber.