Work

Autocatalytic hydrothermal pretreatment for cassava bagasse depolymerization

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: This study evaluated pretreatment methods for cassava bagasse (CB) degradation before biodigestion: I) using cassava processing wastewater (CW) and water, and II) using the liquid hydrolysate from the first step as a catalytic agent. Mixtures of CB (6–134 g), CW (190–318 g), and water (76–204 g), were tested to optimize CB depolymerization , measured by yield (%) and increase (g.L −1 ) in reducing sugars (RS). In the first pretreatment (I) the conventional hydrothermal pretreatment (HTP) was performed, the optimal solid-liquid ratio was 0.21 (m/m), using 70 g of CB, 211.34 g of CW, and 118.67 g of water at 120ºC for 75 minutes. This resulted in a 41.32 ± 1.31 % of RS yield and an increase of 0.64 ± 0.02 g.L −1 RS. In the second pretreatment (II), the optimal ratio from the first step was applied, achieving a higher yield of 73.30 % RS, an increase of 1.22 g.L −1 RS. Neither furfural nor 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) were detected in the liquid hydrolysates. The study demonstrates that autocatalytic hydrothermal pretreatment (AHP) is an efficient strategy to depolymerize CB, enhancing its digestibility and RS availability. Moreover, incorporating CW into the hydrolysis process contributes to waste valorization, promoting environmentally sustainable practices in the cassava industry.

Source: Process Biochemistry

DOI: 10.1016/j.procbio.2025.02.015

Authors: Marcio Ricardo Graff, Edson Antônio da Silva, Thompson Ricardo Weiser Meier, Paulo André Cremonez, Dilcemara Cristina Zenatti, Sílvio Cesar Sampaio

Institutions: Universidade Federal do Paraná, Universidade Estadual do Oeste do Paraná

Language: English

Topic: Biofuel production and bioconversion

Subfield: Biomedical Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Responsible consumption and production, Affordable and clean energy

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,970