Caracterização fisioquímica de acessos do LUFFA SPP. por espectroscopia

Abstract

The use of plant fibers dates back to ancient times, utilized in the production of items such as sponges for personal and household hygiene, clothing, and more. Over the years, many of these products have been replaced by synthetic materials, which are primarily derived from non-renewable sources. Nowadays, there is a growing demand for ecologically correct and economically viable products, because such products are derived from renewable energy sources, CO2 storage potential that provides carbon credits and low energy consumption in production, among others. In compliance with new governmental and market resolutions and guidelines aimed at sustainability, interest in the use of vegetable fibers for applications in the most diverse production sectors has been awakened again. The objective of this work was to characterize the accessions of the varieties of Luffa spp. (vegetable loofah) based on the physiochemical properties of the fibers produced in the Agricultural Experimentation Area of ​​the Agricultural Engineering Course at UFRN for a possible relationship between the microscopic characteristics and the morphological and mechanical properties of each access. The samples were classified according to their morphology and for physiochemical characterization, Raman, FT-IR and UV-Vis spectroscopy techniques were used. The Raman spectroscopy technique could not be performed due to an incident in which the laser used in the analysis caused damage to the sample, making it unsuitable for spectroscopic analysis. For the second technique used, in the Fourier transform infrared region (FT-IR), compounds such as: chlorophyll, lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose were identified. For the third technique used (UV-Vis spectroscopy) compounds were identified, such as: lignin and cellulose. After analyzing the functional groups, a comparative qualitative assessment was carried out and it was determined that the FT-IR technique more efficiently identifies the composition of the Luffa fibers.