The benefits of cassava range from its use as a human staple food, a component of animal feed, a raw material in food processing, textile, pharmaceutical, detergent, alcohol, to the production of confectioneries and many more. The large availability of this industrial crop in most African nations might be investigated to fully realize its potential as a manufacturing base for Industries.
Cassava is a vital food source in underdeveloped nations and a key raw material for the production of starch, bioethanol, and other bio-based goods. These cassava-based industries also produce enormous amounts of wastes/residues high in organic matter and suspended particles, which have a lot of potential for biorefinery conversion into value-added products.
Cassava has a lot of potential as an industrial base crop. Cassava starch can accomplish the majority of the functions now performed by maize, rice, and wheat starches. Many additional sectors, notably in Africa, have found versatile applications for starch, particularly cassava starch, as the industry has grown into a multibillion-dollar market globally. Cassava starch is a cheap feedstock with a moderate flavour, and effluents from cassava starch processing units can be used as possible raw materials for industrial applications such as ethanol manufacturing. Let’s consider three main industries to reveal Cassava as a base for Industrial Production.
Cassava Starch in Textile Industries
Cassava starch is used in the textile industry as a starch solution for different textile operations such as sizing and dyeing, which results in final textiles that are brighter, tougher, and heavier. Cassava starch is also used as a thickening ingredient in printing inks and for the application of glossy finishes in small amounts. When cooked, it is completely sticky in comparison to maize. Its larger size offers a cleaner finish, more malleable yarn on the loom, and long-lasting properties. Cassava starch is used to improve the quality of bed linens and tablecloths, as well as to keep them firm and complete them. Soluble starch, packaged with a suitable propellant in an air spray container, is commonly used in modern laundries to apply starch to garments during steam ironing. Cassava starch is increasingly and widely used in industries since it is easy to get in terms of quantity, quality, and timeliness. Its main purpose is to improve the appearance of cloth by adding shine and erasing wrinkles that arise during the preparation process. To increase manufacturing efficiency, cassava starch is frequently used as an additive to harden and preserve strands. For the textile industry, some steamed cassava starch can make textiles more efficient.
Cassava Starch in Pharmaceutical Industries
Starch is used as a binder, diluent, disintegrant, and absorbent in the pharmaceutical sector. During tablet production, freshly made starch paste with a concentration of 5–20 per cent is commonly employed. Cassava’s importance in the drug-making process cannot be understated. In the pharmaceutical industry, starch is used as a filler and a bonding agent in the production of powder tablet formulations. This starch is commonly used to make tablets, capsules, and powder formulations. The starch in tablets is used for coating, dusting, and binding the tablet’s contents. The starch in tablets and capsules also serves a unique role, since it absorbs moisture and swells after ingesting, causing the pill to disintegrate and the active component to disperse.
Cassava Starch in Plastic Industries
Starch is used in the rubber and foam industries to produce high-quality foam and colour; cassava starch is preferable. Cassava starch is one of Thailand’s most common agricultural products. Because of its availability, renewability, biodegradability, and low cost, cassava starch is regarded as one of the most promising biological polymers. Plastic films manufactured from 100 per cent cassava starch were created in Thailand using a method called “annealing,” which allows starch polymers to be transformed into a flexible sheet. This product is extremely biodegradable; however, it has an issue with high production costs. Researchers say Bioplastic from cassava starch is as tough as traditional plastics made of petroleum.
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