With the increasing global demand for sustainable and eco-friendly energy sources, researchers and innovators have turned their attention to unconventional solutions. One such promising avenue is the use of millet waste to produce biofuel and chemicals, opening up a realm of possibilities for renewable energy production. Millet, a staple crop in many regions around the world, generates a significant amount of agricultural waste. However, this waste can now be transformed into a valuable resource for biofuel and chemical production. Through innovative biotechnological processes, scientists have unlocked the potential of millet waste, turning it into a renewable and cost-effective source of energy. The beauty of this breakthrough lies in its ability to address multiple challenges simultaneously. Millet is a drought-resistant cereal crop that is grown in many parts of the world, particularly in regions with arid or semi-arid climates. While the grain of millet is the primary edible part and used for food products, the plant produces a significant amount of agricultural residue or waste, including stalks, leaves, and husks. Utilizing millet waste, it can not only reduce agricultural waste and its environmental impact but also create an alternative to fossil fuels. Furthermore, this innovative approach promotes rural development and economic growth by providing new income streams for millet farmers. Millet waste can serve as a valuable and low-cost feedstock to produce biofuels and chemicals, contributing to both agricultural sustainability and renewable energy goals. In several studies, pearl millet has been used as a feedstock for fuel ethanol production in the presence of Saccharomyces cerevisiae acting as the fermenting microorganism. The pearl and other millets could be a promising feedstock for fuel ethanol production, especially in regions where it is challenging to grow corn and grain sorghum due to dry conditions. This highlights the versatility of pearl millets as a biofuel feedstock. Some studies show to recover cellulose from pearl millet biomass. To achieve this, various treatments are employed by different scientists. One study (Dresch et al., 2022) uses both chemical and physical treatments. The chemical treatments include alkali (using 4% NaOH) and acid (using C2H2O4 5%) extractions. The physical treatments involve vapor explosion and size reduction. Cellulose-rich fraction obtained from these treatments achieved an impressive removal rate of 100% for lignin and 99.86% for hemicellulose and high crystallinity index of 82.43%. For the extraction, 2- to 4-h alkaline extractions with 4% NaOH, followed by a 2-h extraction with C2H2O4 5% in the autoclave at a temperature of 125.6 °C and 1.4 bar. Various analytical techniques, including Fourier transform spectroscopy (FTIR-ATR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Raman spectroscopy, are also used to characterize the cellulosic fraction.

Millet Waste as an Inexpensive Feedstock for Biofuel and Chemicals

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发表日期：

2025年

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Ravi K. Deshwal,
Sujeet Pratap Singh

摘要

With the increasing global demand for sustainable and eco-friendly energy sources, researchers and innovators have turned their attention to unconventional solutions. One such promising avenue is the use of millet waste to produce biofuel and chemicals, opening up a realm of possibilities for renewable energy production. Millet, a staple crop in many regions around the world, generates a significant amount of agricultural waste. However, this waste can now be transformed into a valuable resource for biofuel and chemical production. Through innovative biotechnological processes, scientists have unlocked the potential of millet waste, turning it into a renewable and cost-effective source of energy. The beauty of this breakthrough lies in its ability to address multiple challenges simultaneously. Millet is a drought-resistant cereal crop that is grown in many parts of the world, particularly in regions with arid or semi-arid climates. While the grain of millet is the primary edible part and used for food products, the plant produces a significant amount of agricultural residue or waste, including stalks, leaves, and husks. Utilizing millet waste, it can not only reduce agricultural waste and its environmental impact but also create an alternative to fossil fuels. Furthermore, this innovative approach promotes rural development and economic growth by providing new income streams for millet farmers. Millet waste can serve as a valuable and low-cost feedstock to produce biofuels and chemicals, contributing to both agricultural sustainability and renewable energy goals. In several studies, pearl millet has been used as a feedstock for fuel ethanol production in the presence of Saccharomyces cerevisiae acting as the fermenting microorganism. The pearl and other millets could be a promising feedstock for fuel ethanol production, especially in regions where it is challenging to grow corn and grain sorghum due to dry conditions. This highlights the versatility of pearl millets as a biofuel feedstock. Some studies show to recover cellulose from pearl millet biomass. To achieve this, various treatments are employed by different scientists. One study (Dresch et al., 2022) uses both chemical and physical treatments. The chemical treatments include alkali (using 4% NaOH) and acid (using C2H2O4 5%) extractions. The physical treatments involve vapor explosion and size reduction. Cellulose-rich fraction obtained from these treatments achieved an impressive removal rate of 100% for lignin and 99.86% for hemicellulose and high crystallinity index of 82.43%. For the extraction, 2- to 4-h alkaline extractions with 4% NaOH, followed by a 2-h extraction with C2H2O4 5% in the autoclave at a temperature of 125.6 °C and 1.4 bar. Various analytical techniques, including Fourier transform spectroscopy (FTIR-ATR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Raman spectroscopy, are also used to characterize the cellulosic fraction.