Cellulose Acetate Membranes from Sisal Fiber Applied for Furfural Recovery

Area of Science:

• Biorefinery technology
• Polymer science
• Separation processes

Background:

• Membrane separation is crucial for biomass recovery in biorefineries.
• Cellulose acetate (CA) membranes offer high selectivity for separation tasks.
• Utilizing lignocellulosic materials like sisal fiber for CA membrane production is an innovative approach.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop sisal fiber-derived CA membranes.
• To optimize synthesis conditions for efficient furfural removal.
• To investigate the effect of poly(ethylene glycol) 400 (PEG-400) on membrane performance.

Main Methods:

• Cellulose isolation from sisal fiber via organosolv and dilute acid treatments.
• Cellulose acetylation to produce CA, confirmed by spectroscopy.
• CA and CA/PEG-400 membrane synthesis using phase inversion.
• Characterization of membrane structure and performance using scanning electron microscopy.

Main Results:

• Optimized cellulose recovery yielded a product with 2.4% residual impurities.
• Synthesized membranes exhibited porous, asymmetric structures.
• CA/PEG-400 membranes showed higher porosity, lower permeate flux, and enhanced furfural recovery.
• The best performing membrane achieved 92% furfural retention at 5 °C with PEG-400.

Conclusions:

• Sisal fiber is a viable source for CA membrane production.
• Incorporating PEG-400 improves membrane properties for furfural separation.
• Optimized CA/PEG-400 membranes are effective for furfural removal in biorefineries.