Heliyon (Dec 2022)
Hydroxymethyl furfural (HMF) a high strength cellulose resin for wood composite laminates
Abstract
The organic wastes though biodegradable is harmful and pose a serious threat to the environment. This research focused to; harness the cellulose existing in the peels of vegetables, banana and bagasse to establish Hydroxymethyl furfural (HMF) bioresin. Eleven experiments were performed with different w/w% of DMSO and Sulphuric acid to find the best solvent extract. The FTIR-ATR validated sample 6 extract (10 w/w% at 98 contact h) as the prime compared to the other extracts. The conversion of cellulosic glucose to HMF was performed on 10 ml of sample 6 extract. The filtrate was further concentrated to 90% at 80°C. The HPLC analysis displayed 51% conversion of HMF from glucose. The universal testing machine (UTM) test executed on the HMF resin laid on the wood veneers exhibited good curing and tensile strength (18.5 MPa). The physical property of HMF lies close to the commercially available wood resin in the market.