Cellulose-Based Upcycling of Brewer<acute accent>s Spent Grains: Extraction and Acetylation

As the main byproduct of beer production, huge amounts of brewer ' s spent grain (BSG) are generated annually worldwide. BSG is being currently underutilized since they are mostly devoted to animal feeding. Nevertheless, BSG offers a wide range of upcycling possibilities due to its lignocellulosic nature. In this work, we have addressed the extraction of cellulose and its further conversion into cellulose acetate, a biodegradable polymer with potential industrial application, especially as food contact material. The effectiveness of both processes, cellulose extraction and acetate synthesis were monitored by performing a comprehensive physicochemical characterization of the products. The influence of reaction time (1-5 h) on acetylation extent and acetate properties was also assessed. The results reflected that the process effectively removed hemicelluloses and lignin from BSG, and yielded a cellulose pulp with 63% crystallinity and 351 degrees C maximum degradation temperature. However, around 28% of the cellulose was solubilized, with acid pretreatment as the most aggressive step (above 19% disappearance). Acetylation extent was practically not affected by reaction time, and cellulose acetate with degree of substitution approximately 2.60 was obtained already after 1 h. Infrared spectra and X-ray diffractograms were similar for all acetate samples. Nevertheless, the thermogravimetric analysis evidenced that at least 3 h were needed to obtain a product with high thermal stability. This work addressed for the first time the acetylation of cellulose isolated from BSG, and may serve as basis for the manufacturing of a biobased plastic with application in sectors such as food packaging.