Evaluation of Nanocellulose Production from Lignocellulosic Residue from Hop Culture

• Grant number: 23/09250-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: October 01, 2023
• End date: January 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agricultural Engineering - Process Engineering of Agricultural Products
• Principal Investigator: Sarita Candida Rabelo
• Grantee: Guilherme Mangili Vidal de Negreiros
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Agronômicas (FCA). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 24/04255-8 - Production of enhanced efficiency fertilizers (EEFs) using lignocellulose nanofibrils (LCNFs) from hop (Humulus lupulus L.) stems, BE.EP.IC

Abstract

Hops (Humulus lupulus L.) is an angiosperm described as a perennial vine reaching up to 7 meters in height. Its commercial importance is due to its inflorescences, which have several organic acids used mainly by the brewing industry, due to its sensory and organoleptic characteristics offered the product. However, as only its inflorescence has commercial value, all the residue of the plant does not yet have practical uses, which may become a problem in the future, mainly with the adaptation of this cultivar in Brazilian soil. Therefore, this work aims to evaluate the fractionation process of lignocellulosic residues from hop culture using the organosolv pretreatment with crude glycerol, aiming to maximize the extraction of lignin and hemicellulose and preserve the cellulosic fraction of the material. The cellulosic fraction will be evaluated in the production of nanocelluloses. For this, a study of the operational pre-treatment conditions, through a central composite design (CCD), with triplicate at the central point, will be carried out by varying the glycerol: water ratio and the temperature, considering pre-treatment times of 15, 30 and 45 min. After studying each of the operating conditions, the solid fraction obtained will be characterized to select the best condition (cellulose preservation and solubilization of hemicellulose and lignin) and used for the production of nanocelluloses. The material will be chemically and physically characterized, and its characteristics compared to a commercial nanocellulose, in order to understand the intrinsic characteristics of the material produced. This study is expected to contribute to the specialized literature regarding potential applications of this biomass envisioning a biorefineries chain.