Title: Influence of different pretreatment methods on degradation of wheat straw.
Abstract: This paper investigates the influence of different pretreatment methods on sugar conversion from wheat straw. Different dilute acid and alkaline pretreatment methods are compared to determine the best pretreatment method to give the highest glucose yields under mild operating conditions. Wheat straw is used as a raw material as it is the most widely grown cereal in Europe. Dilute sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, nitric acid and potassium hydroxide solutions are used for pretreatment in combination with enzymatic hydrolysis. Results indicate that the highest cellulose-to-glucose conversion rate of 316.7 g/kg of biomass is achieved by the pretreatment with nitric acid. The lowest glucose concentration of 221.3 g/kg is achieved by hydrochloric acid. In the wheat straw samples pretreated with sulfuric acid and KOH, two different approaches are used. Solid phase of half the samples is rinsed with water before adding enzymes, and the rest of the samples are not. Results indicate that approximately 3.5% of cellulose is converted to sugars during acid pretreatment and is dissolved in the liquid phase. Wheat straw samples pretreated with nitric acid have by far the highest hydrolysis efficiency of 68.1%.
Publication Year: 2012
Publication Date: 2012-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
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Cited By Count: 3
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