Microwave Assisted Enhanced Extraction, Recovery and Characterization of Cellulose Using Agriculture Byproduct‐Banana Pseudostem

One of the main issues with banana pseudo stems (BPS) is their underutilization; they are often discarded as waste or burned, which releases carbon dioxide and contributes to air pollution and environmental degradation. Despite this, banana pseudostem carries abundant by‐products, especially lignocellulose, cellulose and cellulose polymers, but they have been largely ignored. Since, these polymers can be derived from agricultural residues, there is a huge need for such standardized processes in efficient recovery leading to sustainable development and also in maintaining the circular economy. Accordingly, the present investigation aimed to extract cellulose from banana pseudo stem (BPS), and it was pre‐treated chemically by alkali, bleaching, and acid to recover the cellulose. RSM (Response Surface Methodology) was employed using Design Expert Software for standardization of solvent ratios in the extraction of cellulose and with the pre‐treatment solution concentration including 7.38% NaOH, 6.81% H 2 SO 4 and with a sharp exposure to the microwave for 20.39 min, which obtained a maximum cellulose yield of about 93.92% which is a very significant quantity when compared with recent reports, wherein that warrants its novel approach in enhanced recovery of cellulose. Thus, the recovered cellulose was subjected to various analyzes to evaluate its thermal, structural, functional, and morphological characteristics using TGA, XRD, FTIR, and SEM, respectively, for their sustainable use, also upholding the circular economy.