Sustainable Biomass Conversion: Impact of NaCl Pretreatment on Cabbage Waste

Abstract

Vegetable waste, particularly cabbage waste (CW), is a valuable raw material for various applications, including bioenergy production, owing to its high lignocellulosic content. However, the potential of lignin in biomass conversion remains largely untapped. This study is significant as it aims to optimize the pretreatment of CW biomass using different chemical reagents and concentrations (sulphuric acid, acetic acid, sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, and sodium chloride) at 12 and 24 hours for 50, 75, and 100 ^oc. In this study, a novel pretreatment approach was introduced with 2% NaCl at 50^oc for 12 hours for CW biomass. At this optimised condition, 2% NaCl led to 28 % delignification for CW biomass. The study examined the impact of pretreatment efficacy on biomass characterisation using SEM, XRD, and FTIR analytical techniques. Results showed that 2% NaCl pretreatment significantly improved digestibility, increased surface area and porosity, altered the crystallinity index, and confirmed delignification through shifts in peaks and intensity changes. Furthermore, reduced hemicellulose, reduced lignin were noted in comparison to untreated biomass.  This reassures us of the effectiveness of the pretreatment method. This promising result underscores the feasibility, economics, sustainability, and environmental friendliness of this pretreatment method. The method not only offers a cost-effective solution but also aligns with the principles of sustainability and environmental protection, thereby reassuring the audience about its potential for various industrial applications.