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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Griffin, Georgia » Plant Genetic Resources Conservation Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #392601
Research Project: Conservation, Characterization, Evaluation, and Distribution of Grain, Oilseed, Vegetable, Subtropical and Tropical Legume, and Warm Season Grass Genetic Resources and Associated Information

Location: Plant Genetic Resources Conservation Unit

Title: Valorization of sugarcane bagasse for sugar extraction and residue as an adsorbent for pollutant removal

Author
item WANG, DUANHAO - Huanghuai University
item TIAN, JIAHUA - Nanjing Tech University
item GUAN, JIAN - Nanjing Tech University
item DING, YIWEN - Nanjing Tech University
item Wang, Ming
item Tonnis, Brandon
item LIU, JIAYANG - University Of Georgia
item HUANG, QINGGUO - University Of Georgia

Submitted to: Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/8/2022
Publication Date: 8/24/2022
Citation: Wang, D., Tian, J., Guan, J., Ding, Y., Wang, M.L., Tonnis, B.D., Liu, J., Huang, Q. 2022. Valorization of sugarcane bagasse for sugar extraction and residue as an adsorbent for pollutant removal. Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology. https://doi.org/10.3389/fbioe.2022.893941.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fbioe.2022.893941

Interpretive Summary: Finding new sources of energy is important for reducing fossil fuel use. One important source is sugarcane. Sugar pressed from the stems can be made into a renewable fuel. The remaining plant material however is not used and usually thrown away as waste. But a large of amount of excess sugar remains after pressing juice out of the stems. Cellulose that makes up some of the plant stems can also be an energy source as well. To show the added value of this material, we measured the leftover sugar content. We also improved on a method to produce sugar from the cellulose. Finally, we measured how well the leftover material can absorb certain dyes and metals. This is important because wastewater is often polluted with these harmful chemicals. Using leftover sugarcane stems to remove some or all these compounds can help clean used water before it flows back into streams, rivers, and lakes. This study has shown that sugarcane can be used in multiple ways that adds value to it as a crop.

Technical Abstract: Following juice squeezing for sugar production from sugarcane, bagasse (SCB) is usually co-produced in huge amount. This study utilized hydraulic press generated SCB as feedstock to evaluate sugar extraction as well as adsorption potential. Total soluble sugar (sucrose, glucose, and fructose) of 0.4 g/g SCB was recovered with H2O soaking. Insoluble sugar, i.e., cellulose in SCB, was further hydrolyzed into glucose (10-45%) with cellulase enzyme, generating a new bagasse (SCBE). Persulfate pretreatment of SCB proved to slightly enhance the saccharification. Both SCB and SCBE showed great potential as adsorbent, i.e., 98% MB removal by SCB or SCBE and 75% Cu2+ by SCBE and 80% by SCB in 60 min. The qm was 85.8 mg/g (MB by SCB), 77.5 mg/g (MB by SCBE), 3.4 mg/g (Cu2+ by SCB), and 1.2 mg/g (Cu2+ by SCBE). The thermodynamics indicated the adsorption process to be spontaneous, endothermic, and more random in nature. The experimental results therefore offer an alternative to better reutilize SCB.