Thermochemical characterization of cellulose extracted from the cocoa pod husk of Theobroma cacao L.

The efficient use of residual biomass has become an important research topic in the search for sustainable and environmentally friendly materials. The cacao production chain generates residual biomass amounting to 79–90 % of the total fruit, with the cacao pod husk (CPH) being the most abundant residue. This lignocellulosic material generally lacks proper disposal, becoming a source of phytosanitary diseases that result in economic losses of 5–20 % per hectare for producers. As a utilization alternative, this study examines the thermogravimetric properties of cellulose extracted from cacao pod husk (CPH) using two methods: a modified version of Lubis et al. (2018) and a modified version of Romero Viloria et al. (2014), applied to three types of cacao clones: Castro Naranjal Collection (CCN 51), Fedecacao San Vicente 41 (FSV 41), and Fedecacao Arauquita 5 (FEAR 5). The results revealed that the amorphous segments containing lignin and hemicellulose were largely removed through chemical treatments, leading to higher purity and thermal stability of the extracted materials, particularly with the method of Romero Viloria et al. (2014). • The Romero Viloria (2014) method extracted cellulose with higher purity and thermal stability than Lubis et al. (2018). • Using of cocoa pod husk (CPH) for cellulose supports the circular economy, reducing waste, environmental impact and crop diseases. • The efficient use of residual biomass is key to developing sustainable, eco-friendly materials through innovative research. • Cellulose extraction is compared using a heating method with bases and bleaching versus a solvent based Soxhlet extraction. • It has been observed that, depending on the clone, the characteristics of the cocoa pod husk residue vary.