High Purity Lignin from Oil Palm Biomass

The abundant biomass derived from oil palm exhibits valuable characteristics of lignin and biocellulose, which hold considerable promise for conversion into various products. However, this process necessitates a suitable pretreatment strategy that achieves a balance between effective lignin removal and gentle cellulose extraction, thereby maximizing the potential of these biopolymer components. This research highlights the successful application of lignin and βcellulose obtained from oil palm biomass in the creation of an innovative biofilm product, emphasizing the efficient use of lignin biocellulose. A promising technique involving bacterial cellulose, which is gaining attention for new applications in the food and medical sectors, is assessed for its effectiveness in biomass pretreatment. The study establishes optimal pretreatment conditions that enhance lignin purity, lignin recovery, and holocellulose yield from oil palm biomass. A lignin purity of 88.2% was achieved, surpassing the 68.9-71.0% purity levels reported in existing literature, while maintaining comparable recovery performance. Furthermore, this method demonstrates a commendable level of cellulosic recovery with minimal disruption to the crystalline structure of cellulose. This results in enhanced lignin purity and recovery, while preserving cellulose crystallinity, which is essential for subsequent product conversion. Nonetheless, it was noted that the current enzymatic method is not fully effective in penetrating the lignin protective barrier during biomass pretreatment. Opportunities for improvement in this approach are identified, particularly in the development of ligninolytic enzymes that can compete with emerging alkaline pretreatment techniques.