Upcycling pineapple leaves into eco-aerogels

Date:08September2020

Country: Singapore

Application

• The main applications of this project include food preservation by delaying ripening and wastewater treatment by removing heavy metals. Additionally, the eco-aerogels can be used for oil absorption, heat and sound insulation, and waste management.

Description

Researchers at NUS Mechanical Engineering have developed a low-cost method to upcycle pineapple leaf fibers into ultra-light, biodegradable eco-aerogels. These versatile aerogels can be used for food preservation, wastewater treatment, and waste management. They effectively absorb ethylene gas to delay fruit ripening and remove heavy metals from water. The eco-aerogels are cost-effective, reusable, and environmentally friendly, offering a sustainable solution for agricultural waste.

 

 

Pathway Description:

The process used in this project involves several key steps: shredding or blending pineapple leaf fibers, mixing them with water and a small amount of non-toxic chemicals, stirring, aging, freezing, and freeze-drying. This method takes about 12 hours to produce the aerogels, which is much faster than the conventional sol-gel method used for commercial aerogels.