Potential use of waste from caldense agroindustry according to its structural composition

Abstract

The aim of this document is to identify the main wastes of the agroindustry in the department of Caldas and, in accordance with its structural characterization, propose a potential use of waste. The structural characterization was carried out by determining the structural components (cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin) and non-structural components (extractives and ash) of each of the agroindustrial wastes. Considering these results, the potential applications of the wastes studied are identified according to their percentages of cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin and extractives. The results indicate that the seeds of orange and tangerine, the stem of tree tomato and the peels of mango, soursop, passion fruit and banana have a potential use in the industry of paper, textile, food and fermentable sugars, in the manufacture of biomaterials and in obtaining cellulose ether and esters, due to the percentage of cellulose present in them. Wastes with significant percentages of hemicellulose, such as pineapple and tree tomato peel and tree tomato seeds, have applications in the chemical, food and pharmaceutical industries. Mango, soursop and lulo peels, and the coffee grounds present high lignin contents, representing a potential source of compounds such as vanillin and lignosulfonates, which have applications in the food and chemical industry. Passion fruit, pineapple and mango peels have applications in the food and pharmaceutical industry due to their extractive content.