Caracterização química e térmica de fibras de gengibre visando a aplicabilidade em compósitos de matrizes termoplásticas

Abstract

Agroindustrial processes generate fibrous waste, such as lignocellulosic fibers, which have potential for application in new materials. Particularly, the ginger processing industry generates a large amount of waste, here called ginger pomace (BG) characterized as a fibrous material from the rhizome (lignocellulosic fibers). The objective of this work was to characterize the chemical composition of ginger pomace in terms of lignin, holocellulose (cellulose and hemicellulose) content and its thermal behavior by thermogravimetry, as a way of contributing to evaluating its potential for application in the development of new polymeric materials. The average values of lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose contents obtained were, respectively, 28.23 ± 2.39%, 48.43 ± 2.93% and 29.96 ± 1.25%. The starting temperature of BG degradation was approximately 260ºC. The chemical composition and thermal stability of BG are similar to those found in some conventional plant fibers. These results show that BG has potential for application as filler or reinforcement in polymeric materials aiming at the development of ecologically sustainable materials.