Physicochemical Properties and Lignin Degradation of Thermal-Pretreated Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunch

Intan Nazirah Mohammad, Clarence M. Ongkudon and Mailin Misson
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Intan Nazirah Mohammad: Biotechnology Research Institute, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Jln UMS, Kota Kinabalu 88400, Sabah, Malaysia
Clarence M. Ongkudon: Biotechnology Research Institute, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Jln UMS, Kota Kinabalu 88400, Sabah, Malaysia
Mailin Misson: Biotechnology Research Institute, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Jln UMS, Kota Kinabalu 88400, Sabah, Malaysia

Energies, 2020, vol. 13, issue 22, 1-12

Abstract: Oil palm empty fruit bunches (EFB) are recoverable lignocellulosic biomass serving as feedstock for biofuel production. The major hurdle in producing biofuel from biomass is the abundance of embedded recalcitrant lignin. Pretreatment is a key step to increase the accessibility of enzymes to fermentable sugars. In this study, thermal pretreatments at moderate temperatures ranging from 150 °C to 210 °C, at different durations (30–120 min) and EFB particle sizes (1–10 mm), were employed to maximize lignin degradation. Observation through a scanning electron microscope (SEM) revealed disruptions in EFB structure and the removal of silica bodies and other impurities upon thermal pretreatment. Remarkable changes on the elemental contents and functional groups occurred, as was evident from the energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analyses. The smallest EFB size yielded higher lignin degradation—about 2.3-fold and 1.2-fold higher—than the biggest and moderate tested EFB sizes, indicating a smaller particle size provides a higher surface area for bioreaction. Furthermore, applying a longer duration of treatment and a higher temperature enhanced lignin degradation by up to 58%. This study suggests that moderate thermal treatment could enhance lignin degradation by altering the physicochemical structure of EFB, which is beneficial in improving biofuel production.

Keywords: oil palm empty fruit bunch; lignin degradation; physicochemical; thermal pretreatment; biofuel production (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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