Incorporation of a Filter Media by Cellulose Fibers in Biosafety from Sugarcane Bagasse by Alkaline Hydrolysis

Abstract

The pandemic caused by COVID-19 has generated an increase in the consumption of personal protective equipment focused on reducing the risk of contagion and respiratory affectations, being the masks the fundamental article to combat the spread according to the World Health Organization, where the surgical mask is the most used worldwide, made entirely of polypropylene, taking 400 years to disintegrate being 90% of these masks end their useful life in streets, landfills or even in the ocean. To decrease contamination sugarcane bagasse due to its availability and percentage of cellulose has important characteristics to be used as a biodegradable filter media as the first step to incorporate it into a cloth mask. Three cellulose extraction methodologies were stipulated based on acid hydrolysis using H2SO4 and alkaline hydrolysis using NaOH, in acid routes there is a rupture of the β 1-4 glycosidic bonds generating glucose affecting the % of cellulose, giving reason to the use of alkaline hydrolysis at 5% w/v with a yield of 32.00 %, 80.39 % in its extraction and taking advantage of the black liquor generated in the alkaline hydrolysis towards cogeneration. Finally, as the filter media is an organic nonwoven, its disintegration time is shorter compared to the polypropylene nonwoven, evidenced in a qualitative study of vermicomposting by implementing Californian earthworm, governed by EN-13432, with 18°C, moisture above 50%, pH of roughly 9 and a C/N ratio of 25:1 are taken into account, resulting in a total disintegration of the filter media in 26 days compared with dry leaves, both sources of carbon. Copyright © 2022, AIDIC Servizi S.r.l.