Structure Features of Sugarcane Bagasse under Ultrasonic with Xylanase and Laccase Treatment

The continuously growing demand for cellulosic fibers derived from sugarcane bagasse (SCB) has driven the development of green extraction processes to provide highly purified cellulose and reduce chemical treatment. Xylanase and laccase positively impact both delignification efficiency and fiber properties. This paper examined the effect of ultrasonic single enzyme treatment as xylanase or laccase and xylanase followed by laccase (UXL) on delignification and bleaching efficiency of cellulose microfibers from SCB. Results showed that xylanase and laccase significantly impacted delignification after ultrasonic treatment of pretreated bleached fibers. The UXL fibers exhibited highest cellulose content (67.20%) and crystallinity index (56.06%) due to the removal of hemicellulose and lignin, as confirmed by the FTIR results. SEM analysis revealed the defibrillation of fibers after UXL treatment. Thermal analysis indicated the increased thermal stability of UXL fibers due to enzyme action, while combined xylanase and laccase treatment enhanced bleaching efficiency and cellulose properties, indicating that applying xylanase followed by laccase as part of the ultrasonic pretreatment processes increased biomass delignification efficiency. Findings increase the understanding of environmentally friendly pretreatment for cellulose extraction from SCB, which can be implemented to enhance cellulosic biorefinery in the sugar industry.