Sustainable reuse of date palm biomass via extraction of cellulose using natural deep eutectic solvent (NaDES) and microwave-assisted process

Abstract

In Saudi Arabia, date palm biomass is often considered bulk waste, posing health risks to humans and the environment when incinerated or disposed of in landfills. This study explores the reuse of date palm biomass through cellulose extraction using Natural Deep Eutectic Solvent (NaDES) and Microwave-assisted process as compared with conventional alkali peroxide method. Characterization of the extracted cellulose was conducted using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), x-ray diffractometry (XRD), and fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Our NaDES-microwave method produced a cellulosic product with a yield of 89 %, double that of conventional non-microwave methods and more rapid cellulosic extraction, indicating its favorable efficiency. Moreover, the incorporation of the microwave process resulted in larger cellulosic crystallite sizes and higher thermal stabilities in the produced samples. The utilization of NaDES and microwave-assisted process for cellulose extraction from date palm biomass not only demonstrates superior efficiency, but also accentuates a significant sustainability advantage by repurposing a prevalent waste stream, thereby mitigating environmental and health risks associated with traditional disposal methods.