Hydrolysis of cassava's (Manihot esculenta Crantz) waste polysaccharides using the natural zeolite Stilbite-Ca as catalyst

Agribusiness produces a large amount of organic waste, such as by-products of lignocellulosic and starch biomasses, which are often discarded incorrectly, leading to environmental problems. This paper aims to study the catalyzed hydrolysis of Manihot esculenta Crantz (cassava) using natural zeolite as heterogeneous catalyst. The biomass and zeolite characterization were analyzed according to their physical-chemical properties. Cassava waste presented 70.66 % of starch, which indicates its potential to yield high added-value products such as fermentable sugar, dextrin, and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural. X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared, scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive, and X-ray fluorescence analysis of the natural zeolite showed a mineralogical composition of Stilbite-Ca. According to these material's properties, the natural zeolite was applied to the catalysis of cassava waste. It presents 86.53 % of conversion in 6 h producing 17.77 % of total reducing sugars, which was superior to the hydrolysis reaction only with water. [Display omitted] •Natural catalyst based on zeolite Stilbite-Ca in starch hydrolysis•Cassava's conversion of 98.9 % in 4 h using a mesoporous mineral catalyst•Biomass conversion to higher value-added products•Dextrin, sugars, furfural, and 5-HMF obtained from cassava's waste