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Optimization of lignin recovery from sugarcane bagasse using ionic liquid aided pretreatment

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Abstract

Ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate ([EMIM]oAc) was employed for the pretreatment of sugarcane bagasse (SCB) and extraction of lignin, a potentially valuable by-product of the biofuel industry. Response surface methodology based on central composite design was exploited and thereby an empirical model, exhibiting a coefficient of determination, R2, of 0.9890, was established to optimize lignin recovery. In particular, a maximum lignin yield, equal to 90.1%, was calculated at the optimal pretreatment conditions, namely time: 120 min, temperature: 140 °C, and ionic liquid to bagasse ratio equal to 20:1 (wt/wt). The presence of guaiacyl and syringyl rings in lignin was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR); whereas UV–Vis spectrophotometry showed that both p-coumaric acid and ferulic acid were contained in the lignin. Thermal analysis indicated a maximum decomposition rate of 2%/°C at 265 °C while Gel permeation chromatography analysis revealed that the molecular weight (Mw) of recovered lignin was equal to 1769 g/mol. Comparison of FTIR spectra of pretreated and untreated bagasse showed a negligible presence of lignin in the pretreated samples. Maximum delignification of bagasse after pretreatment was thus ensured. Thermal stability of the ionic liquid towards recyclability was proven by thermogravimetric analysis. The present study established adequate performance of neat and recycled ([EMIM]oAc) with regard to lignin recovery from SCB.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to extend their sincerest gratitude to the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India for the financial support granted for this research work under the bilateral collaboration between India and Brazil (DBT- India and MCTI-CNPq-Brazil) vide no. DBT/In-Bz/2013-16/06 and CNPq process no: 401361/2013-6. Authors are thankful to the Research Council for the State of São Paulo (FAPESP) (Award Number 2014/27055-2) for financial support and Department of Science and Technology, Government of India (DST) for the grants under DST-FIST Program (SR/FST/ETI-204/2007) with which the infrastructure for the present research was developed. All the authors are grateful to Dr. Alfred D. French for his concern and valuable suggestions in improving the writing of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical Engineering, National Institute of Technology Durgapur, Durgapur, West Bengal, 713209, India

    Koel Saha, Jhilly Dasgupta & Jaya Sikder

  2. Department of Informatics, Modeling, Electronics and Systems Engineering (DIMES), University of Calabria, Via P. Bucci, Cubo – 42a, 87036, Rende, CS, Italy

    Sudip Chakraborty & Stefano Curcio

  3. Department of Biotechnology, School of Engineering of Lorena, University of Sao Paulo, 12-602-810, Lorena, SP, Brazil

    Felipe Antonio Fernandes Antunes, Julio Cesar dos Santos & Silvio Silvério da Silva

  4. Institute Center for Water and Environment (iWater), Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, PO Box 54224, Abu Dhabi, UAE

    Sudip Chakraborty & Hassan A. Arafat

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  1. Koel Saha
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Correspondence to Sudip Chakraborty.

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Saha, K., Dasgupta, J., Chakraborty, S. et al. Optimization of lignin recovery from sugarcane bagasse using ionic liquid aided pretreatment. Cellulose 24, 3191–3207 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10570-017-1330-x

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