Abstract
Agroindustrial wastes are renewable sources and the most promising sustainable alternative to lignocellulosic biomass for cellulose production. This study assessed the electrothermal pretreatment of rambutan peel (RP) for producing cellulose fibers. The pretreatment was carried out by Ohmic heating at a solid-to-liquid ratio of 1:10 (w/v) in a water/ethanol (1:1, v/v) mixture as the electrical transmission medium at 60 ± 1 °C for different holding times (15, 30, and 60 min). Ohmic heating did not significantly influence the total fiber yield for the various holding times. However, the compositions of the samples in terms of extractives, lignin, hemicellulose, and α-cellulose content were significantly influenced. In addition, the electrothermal pretreatment method reduced the bleaching time of RP by 25%. The pretreated fibers were thermally stable up to 240 °C. Ohmic heating pretreatment times of 15 and 30 min were found most promising, reducing the required bleaching chemicals and increasing the α-cellulose yield. The pretreated bleached cellulose fibers had similar properties to nontreated bleached fibers and could be efficiently processed into stable gels of strong shear-thinning behavior with potential application as rheology modifiers in food products. Our results demonstrate that rambutan peel could serve as a promising sustainable alternative to woody biomass for cellulose production. Ohmic heating meets the requirements for industrial applications as it is eco-friendly, improves the efficiency and energy consumption in fiber processing, and could as well be included in the processing of similar food wastes.