Browsing by Author "Pintado, Ana I."
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- Valorization of sugarcane by-products through synthesis of biogenic amorphous silica microspheres for sustainable cosmeticsPublication . Costa, Joana R.; Capeto, Ana Paula; Pereira, Carla F.; Pedrosa, Sílvia S.; Mota, Inês F.; Burgal, João da Silva; Pintado, Ana I.; Pintado, Manuela E.; Oliveira, Catarina S. S.; Costa, Patrícia; Madureira, Ana RaquelAshes from sugarcane by-product incineration were used to synthesize silica powders through alkaline hot extraction, followed by ethanol/acid precipitation or the sol–gel method. Both production methods allowed amorphous spherical silica microparticles with sizes ranging from 1–15 μm and 97% purity to be obtained. Water absorption ranged from 135–155 mL/100 g and 150–250 mL/100 g for precipitated silica and silica gel, respectively, while oil absorption ranged from 305 to 390 and from 250 to 350 mL/100 g. The precipitation with ethanol allowed the recovery of 178 g silica/kg ash, with a lab process cost of EUR 28.95/kg, while the sol-gel process showed a yield of 198 g silica/kg ash with a cost of EUR 10.89/kg. The experimental data suggest that ash from sugarcane by-products is a promising source to be converted into a competitive value-added product, minimizing the environmental impact of disposal problems.