A MICROWAVE-ASSISTED ACID HYDROLYSIS OF CORNCOB: RAPID FURFURAL PRODUCTION AND ITS KINETIC
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59957/jctm.v61.i3.2026.2Keywords:
Biomass, Hemicellulose, Xylose, Dehydration, Sulfuric acid, IrradiationAbstract
The microwave-assisted hydrolysis of corncob was successfully performed using H2SO4 as an acid catalyst for rapid furfural production. The influences of reaction time and the catalyst amount on the yield of furfural production were discussed comparatively. The hydrolysate obtained from the reaction was characterized by an aniline-acetate test and FT-IR to confirm furfural generation. The degradation of the cell wall structure of corncobs during the reaction was investigated by SEM and FT-IR analysis of the solid before and after the reaction. The results showed that hemicelluloses were released from the cell wall to be converted into furfural. The highest yield of furfural was reached after a 5 min reaction under microwave irradiation, which was 9-fold faster than a reaction with conventional heating methods for the same amount of furfural (a 45 min reaction). It signifies that the chemical reaction could be
performed efficiently using microwave irradiation which provides better heating distribution, faster heating, and a more controllable heating mechanism compared to conventional heating methods.
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