Optimization of furfural production from hemicellulose of citrullus colocynthis (melon) seed husk using response surface methodology (RSM)

  • Authors

    • Umar Abba Aji Dangote Fertiliser Limited Lagos, Nigeria
    • Chika Muhammad Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto, Nigeria
    • Abdullahi Muhammad Sokoto Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto, Nigeria
    • Shamsu Umar Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto, Nigeria
    • Mustapha Lawan Kar Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto, Nigeria
    • Muhammad Nurudee Almustapha Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto, Nigeria
    2022-11-30
    https://doi.org/10.14419/ijac.v10i2.32162
  • Global population explosion has led to an increase in demand for chemicals and fuels. Consequently this is accompanied by energy security and environmental challenges such as GHGs emissions. Hence, the need for alternative sources of chemicals from greener sources cannot be overemphasized. Furfural was produced from hemicellulose of citrullus colocynthis (Melon) seed husk (MSH) which involves the simultaneous steps of acid catalyzed hydrolysis/dehydration of the (MSH). A response surface methodology (RSM) was used for furfural production and optimization using MINITAB 17statistical software. Results obtained from RSM for furfural production were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA). A furfural with optimum yield of 75.03% was achieved via degradation of hemicellulose fraction of the MSH at optimized variable conditions of Temperature (220 °C), Acid Concentration (10% H2SO4), and Reaction Time (55 minutes). FT-IR spectrum of the produced furfural showed absorption at 1670cm-1 and 2800cm-1 indicating a conjugated carbonyl functional group and aldehydic hydrogen. The result revealed that the utilization of MSH in furfural production may serve as a viable solution of disposing this agricultural wastes and may address environmental problems associated with fossil fuels when the produced furfural used as a feedstock in industries for biofuels and fine chemicals production.

  • References

    1. Nyakuma, B. B. (2015b). "Thermogravimetric and kinetic analysis of melon (Citrulluscolocynthis L.)seed husk using the distributed activation en-ergy model," Environmental and Climate Technologies 15(1), 77-89. https://doi.org/10.1515/rtuect-2015-0007.
    2. Worldwatch Institute. (2017). the Miracle Melon (Egusi) [Online]. Washington DC: WorldWatch Institute. Available: https://goo.gl/7I1txD [Ac-cessed 7th May 2019].
    3. Demirbas, A. (2011). "Waste management, waste resource facilities and waste conversion processes," Energy Conversion and Management 52(2), 1280-1287. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enconman.2010.09.025.
    4. Garba, N.A.,Muduru, I.K., Sokoto A.M.,And Dangoggo S. M. (2019). Production Of Liquid Hydrocarbons From Millet Husk Via Catalytic Hy-drodeoxygenation In NiO/Al2O3 Catalysts WIT Transactions on Ecology and the Environment, Vol 222, WIT Press https://doi.org/10.2495/EQ180121.
    5. Baktash, M.M., Ahsan, L. and Ni, Y. (2015). Production of Furfural from an Industrial Pre-Hydrolysis Liquor. Separa-tion and Purification Tech-nology, 149, 407-412. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seppur.2015.06.003.
    6. Perlack, R. D.; Wright, L. L.; Turhollow, A. F.; Graham, R. L.; Stokes, B. J.; Erbach, D. C. (2005). Biomass as Feedstock for a Bioenergy and Bi-oproducts Industry: The Technical Feasibility of a Billion-Ton Annual Supply; Report No. DOE/GO-102995-2135; Oak Ridge National Laboratory: Oak Ridge, TN,; http://info.ornl.gov/sites/ publications/Files/Pub57812.pdf. https://doi.org/10.2172/1216415.
    7. Wang, W., Ren, J., Li, H., Deng, A. and Sun, R. (2015). Direct Transformation of Xylan-Type Hemicelluloses to Furfural via SnCl4 Catalysts in Aqueous and Biphasic Systems. Bioresources Technology, 183, 188-194. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2015.02.068.
    8. Gebre, H., Fish, K., Kindeya, T., Gebremichal T., (2015). Synthesis of furfural from bagasse. International letters of chemistry, physics and astron-omy, 57, 72-84. https://doi.org/10.18052/www.scipress.com/ILCPA.57.72.
    9. Li, H., Ren, J., Zhong, L., Sun, R. and Liang, L. (2015). Production of Furfural from Xylose, Water-Insoluble Hemi- celluloses and Water-Soluble Fraction of Corncob via a Tin-Loaded Montmorillonite Solid Acid Catalyst. Bioresource Technology, 176, 242-248. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2014.11.044.
    10. Ong, H.K. and Sashikala, M., (2007). Identification of Furfural Synthesized from Pentosan in Rice Husk Journal of Tropical Agriculture and Food. Science, 35(2): 305–312.
    11. Sokoto, Muduru, I.K, Dangoggo, S. M., Anka, N. U. and Hassan L.G., (2018). Optimization of furfural production from millet husk using response surface methodology, Energy Sources, Part A: Recovery, Utilization, and Environmental Effects, 40:1, 120-124, https://doi.org/10.1080/15567036.2017.1405120.
    12. Muhammad, A.B., Obianke, M., Hassan, L.G., and Aliero, A. A., (2016). Optimization of process variables in acid catalysed insitu transesterifica-tion of Hevea brasiliensis (rubber tree) seed oil into biodiesel, Biofuels, https://doi.org/10.1080/17597269.2016.1242689.
    13. Chaudhary, N., and Balomajumder, C., (2014). Optimization study of adsorption parametersfor removal of phenol on aluminum impregnated fly ash using response surface methodology. J. Taiwan Inst. Chem. E 45, 852e859. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtice.2013.08.016.
    14. Li, H., Dai, Q., Ren, J., Jian, L., Peng, F., Sun, R. and Liu, G. (2016). Effect of Structural Characteristics of Corncob Hemicelluloses Fractionated by Graded Ethanol Precipitation on Furfural Production. Carbohydrate Polymers, 136, 203-209. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carbpol.2015.09.045.
  • Downloads

  • How to Cite

    Abba Aji, U., Muhammad, C., Muhammad Sokoto, A., Umar, S., Lawan Kar, M., & Nurudee Almustapha, M. (2022). Optimization of furfural production from hemicellulose of citrullus colocynthis (melon) seed husk using response surface methodology (RSM). International Journal of Advanced Chemistry, 10(2), 80-86. https://doi.org/10.14419/ijac.v10i2.32162