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A cascaded process to upgrade bleached bamboo pulp into dissolving pulp and arabinoxylan
Qiongyao Su1, Daizunyan He1, Jianping Luo1
1College of Environmental Sciences, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, PR China.
Carbohydrate Polymers
|September 3, 2024
Summary
This study introduces a two-step process using deep eutectic solvents (DES) and mechanical refining to produce high-quality dissolving pulp and arabinoxylan (AX) from bamboo pulp, enhancing economic viability.
Area of Science:
- Cellulose chemistry
- Biorefining
- Green chemistry
Background:
- Optimizing dissolving pulp production from lignocellulosic biomass is crucial for economic efficiency.
- Valorizing the hemicellulose fraction, such as arabinoxylan (AX), alongside dissolving pulp presents an economic opportunity.
- Current methods for dissolving pulp and AX co-production often face challenges in efficiency and product quality.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop an integrated, two-step process for co-producing high-quality dissolving pulp and arabinoxylan (AX) from bleached bamboo kraft pulp.
- To investigate the use of deep eutectic solvents (DES) combined with mechanical refining for enhanced cellulose and hemicellulose extraction.
- To assess the economic feasibility and sustainability of the proposed cascaded process.
Main Methods:
- A two-step cascaded process involving deep eutectic solvent (DES) pretreatment followed by mechanical refining was employed.
- Alkaline DES, composed of quaternary ammonium hydroxide and urea, was utilized for pretreatment of bleached bamboo pulp.
- Mechanical refining was applied post-DES treatment to enhance cellulose structure and reactivity.
Main Results:
- The process yielded high-quality dissolving pulp with an alpha-cellulose content of 97.7% and selectively extracted high-quality AX.
- Mechanical refining significantly increased cellulose reactivity to over 70.0% by opening up the cellulose structure.
- High yields were achieved: 63.8 g of dissolving pulp and 13.0 g of AX per 100 g of bleached bamboo pulp.
Conclusions:
- Tailored DES with varying alkalinity can selectively produce dissolving pulp or AX, optimizing them for downstream applications.
- The synergistic interaction between DES swelling and mechanical fibrillation enhances cellulose reactivity.
- This integrated process offers a sustainable and economically attractive alternative for upgrading dissolving pulp by co-producing valuable AX.
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