Bioeconomic potential of lignocellulosic by-products: Steam explosion-based fractionation into solid and liquid phases for fiber and methane production

This study examines lignocellulosic by-products from agriculture and food industry for methane production. Banana peels, cacao bean shells, rice straw, tomato plant residues, and wheat straw underwent steam explosion treatment (SE) at 160 °C and 10 min followed by solid-liquid separation. Specific methane yield increased between 8.6 % to 19.6 % for rice and wheat straw and cacao bean shells after SE treatment, while decreasing for banana peels (14.1 %). The liquid phase demonstrated high specific methane yield potential, with SMY between 227 and 336 L_CH4 kg_ODM^-1. Meanwhile, the fiber-rich solid phase offers potential for both energy applications and material utilization. The process supports both bioeconomic strategies and greenhouse gas reduction efforts through sustainable valorization of agricultural waste streams in circular economy models. However, further research is needed to optimize SE conditions and investigate other applications for the solid such as peat substitution.