Effect of xylan and lignin removal by batch and flowthrough pretreatment on the enzymatic digestibility of corn stover cellulose

• DOI: 10.1002/bit.20043
• Publication Date: 2004-03-04T08:00:41Z
• Authors: Bin Yang; Charles E. Wyman
• Keywords: Corn stover; Hemicellulose; Enzymatic Hydrolysis; Cellulosic ethanol

Compared with batch systems, flowthrough and countercurrent reactors have important potential advantages for pretreating cellulosic biomass, including higher hemicellulose sugar yields, enhanced cellulose digestibility, reduced chemical additions. Unfortunately, they suffer from high water energy use. To better understand these trade-offs, comparative data are reported on xylan lignin removal enzymatic digestibility of corn stover pretreated in over a range flow rates between 160 degrees 220 C, only also 0.1 wt% sulfuric acid. Increasing just the dissolution rate, more than doubled total removal, increased digestibility. Furthermore, adding dilute acid rate both systems. Interestingly, flow, but less was left solution when added batch. Although hydrolysis related to as others shown, much compared same degree removal. Cellulose well. These results suggest that altering affects stover.