Cassava <i>(Manihot esculenta) </i>is a staple food crop for more than 600 million people and is produced primarily by smallholders in developing countries. However, these crop has huge potential and could turn from a poor people's food into a 21<sup>st</sup> century crop, the FAO expects, if properly managed and grown according to a new environmentally-friendly farming model. Nowadays, most forms of cassava processing produce large amounts of waste, the type and composition of which are governed by the processing method and sophistication of the technology used. The cassava pulp, solid waste produced as a consequence of starch production, its often has no economic value which can make processing a marginal business proposition. This paper reports on the studies of the preparation of cellulose from cassava pulp for cellulosic nanocomposite materials development. The cassava-based cellulose was prepared from destarched cassava pulp, i.e. cassava pulp being previously hydrolyzed by α-amylase to remove the starch in pulp (% starch in cassava pulp and destarched pulp was 50-60 and 1% dry basis). The process included usual chemical treatment such as alkaline extraction, bleaching and acid hydrolysis. The chemical composition of fibers at different stages was analyzed and the results showed an increase in the cellulose content and a decrease in the lignin content. The Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy was applied to confirm the chemical structure of produced fiber and the spectrum suggests that lignin was almost entirely removed during alkali and bleaching treatment. In cellulosic nanocomposite materials, the cellulose component may provide the polymeric matrix for nanoparticles and/or the nanometer-scale constituent. Additionally, at a higher level, this report presents unique cellulose-based nanocomposites and examines the properties of these materials. The goal of the research project is to develop technologies to enable the economically viable production of cellulosic material from cassava pulp. New methodologies are required to achieve such an outcome, including the controlled, high level dispersion of cellulose due to a chemical reaction, and processing technologies that enable the cost-effective use of these procedure to convert cassava pulp to cellulosic materials. This will lead to expansion or opening of new market opportunities for new products and added value products generated from the waste of cassava.

Potential of cellulosic nanocomposites materials from cassava pulp

253rd National Meeting (2017)

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