Turning Oil Palm Waste into Eco-Friendly Biomaterials
Researchers combined an ionic liquid pretreatment method with enzymatic delignification to separate cellulose-rich fibers from oil palm biomass. Oil palm biomass is a renewable resource in Malaysia, providing cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. Cellulose, a valuable material for eco-friendly products, faces challenges due to the complex structure of oil palm fibers. Various methods exist to remove lignin and extract cellulose. Enzymatic delignification, a green process, is especially popular. By using a combination of ionic liquid pretreatment and enzymatic delignification, scientists successfully separated cellulose from oil palm biomass, paving the way for more sustainable bioenergy and biomaterials production.