Experimental investigations on valorization of corncob residues for synthesis of crystalline cellulose

Abstract

This article presents an experimental work on the valorization of corncob residues for the synthesis of high crystalline cellulose. An experimental investigation was performed to extract the cellulose from the corncob using chemical treatments, which involved alkaline pre-treatment and bleaching. The cellulose content was notably increased in the extracted cellulose (88.13%) as compared to corncob biomass (42.30%). The morphological, chemical, and thermal properties of the resulting cellulose were thoroughly examined through various analytical techniques. The fiber diameter of extracted cellulose was reduced compared to corncob biomass. The chemical structure of the cellulose was analyzed using the FTIR, confirming the effectiveness of the treatments. The XRD results showed that crystallinity index of corncob, which was 29.63%, increased to 53.95% in extracted cellulose. The crystallinity of extracted cellulose was comparatively higher than in the previous study. Furthermore, the thermogravimetric analysis demonstrated that the lower degradation temperature of extracted cellulose would be beneficial for degradation of bio-based materials. This establishes the fact that corncob biomass has a great potential as a source of high crystalline cellulose which finds its application in the preparation of biocomposites. The findings of the work will be helpful for holistic management and valorization of agricultural waste such as corncob for circular economy. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2025.