Abstract
Population growth, increased food production and consumption, and industrialization have increased the number of crop residues generated in contemporary times. Inappropriate disposal of crop residues pollutes the atmosphere, contaminates water bodies, and exacerbates environmental degradation. Modification and conversion of crop residues to useful products are low-cost, eco-friendly, and contribute to achieving environmental sustainability. This study carries out experimental compositional analysis of plantain peel (PP), orange peel (OP), and corn cob (CC) to provide the necessary information in deciding their appropriate pretreatment techniques, conversion methods, and application options. The proximate analysis showed that carbohydrate constitutes 53.78 %, 62.75 %, and 67.58 % of PP, OP, and CC, respectively. Potassium has the highest concentration in PP with 657.50 ppm and CC with 381.50 ppm while magnesium is the most prominent element in OP with 254.30 ppm. Cellulose dominates the structural composition of PP, OP, and CC with 47.18 %, 65.56 %, and 56.48 %, respectively, followed by lignin, hemicellulose, and extractives. The outcomes of these analyses showed that with appropriate pretreatment, modifications, and conversion technologies, PP, OP, and CC can be converted to biogas, bioethanol, biomethane, and biohydrogen, and used as catalysts, biochar, and other value-added applications.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
