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Coupled acid and enzyme mediated production of microcrystalline cellulose from corn cob and cotton gin waste

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Abstract

Microcrystalline cellulose has applications in food, pharmaceuticals, and other industries. Most microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) is produced from dissolving pulp using concentrated acids. We investigated steam explosion treatment of corn cobs and cotton gin waste for the production of microcrystalline cellulose. The corn cob was converted into a coarse brown powder after steam explosion and the lignin and residual hemicellulose fractions were extracted respectively with sodium hydroxide solution and water. The residual cellulose was readily bleached with hydrogen peroxide and converted to microcrystalline cellulose using hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid and cellulase enzyme preparation. The resulting microcrystalline cellulose samples had properties that were similar to commercial microcrystalline cellulose. Similarly, cotton gin waste was steam exploded and converted into microcrystalline cellulose, but this material was more difficult to bleach using hydrogen peroxide. The degree of polymerization for the MCC samples ranged from 188.6 to 549.8 compared to 427.4 for Avicel PH101 MCC.

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Acknowledgment

The authors acknowledge the USA-Egypt Science and Technology Program, USDA, NSF, and Xethanol LLC for funding the project. Genencor International for supplying the enzyme, and Bob Wright for conducting the steam explosion experiments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Systems Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 213 Seitz Hall, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA

    Foster A. Agblevor

  2. Cellulose and Paper Department, National Research Center, El-Tahrir St., Dokki, Cairo, Egypt

    Maha M. Ibrahim & Waleed K. El-Zawawy

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  1. Foster A. Agblevor
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  2. Maha M. Ibrahim
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  3. Waleed K. El-Zawawy
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Correspondence to Maha M. Ibrahim.

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Agblevor, F.A., Ibrahim, M.M. & El-Zawawy, W.K. Coupled acid and enzyme mediated production of microcrystalline cellulose from corn cob and cotton gin waste. Cellulose 14, 247–256 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10570-006-9103-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10570-006-9103-y

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