Open AccessOzone pretreatment of humid wheat straw for biofuel production
Author(s) -
Al jibouri Ali Kamel H.,
Turcotte Ginette,
Wu Jiangning,
Cheng ChilHung
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
energy science and engineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.638
H-Index - 29
ISSN - 2050-0505
DOI - 10.1002/ese3.93
Subject(s) - ozonolysis , straw , lignin , ozone , chemistry , hydrolysis , biofuel , yield (engineering) , pulp and paper industry , agronomy , food science , organic chemistry , waste management , materials science , biology , inorganic chemistry , engineering , metallurgy
In an attempt to maximize the amount of ozone reacting with lignin inside humid wheat straw, some of the ozone‐reactive lignin degradation products were washed away before a second ozonolysis delignification stage. The total contact time for the two stages was kept the same as that for a one‐stage process for comparison. A significant decrease in the Acid Insoluble Lignin ( AIL ) content of the straw resulted: from 13.04 wt. % (after a 30‐min one‐stage ozonolysis) to 9.34 wt. % (after a 30‐min two‐stage ozonolysis, separated by a washing step). This significant improvement was accompanied by an increase in released fermentable sugars from an enzymatic hydrolysis. The yield increased from 60% theoretical sugars to 80%. A further improvement in AIL (down to 7.36 wt. %) and released sugars (up to 90% theoretical) occurred when the moisture content (MC) of the straw entering the second stage was adjusted to the optimum value of the straw entering first stage (45 wt. %, predicted from an experimental design). The authors believe this is the first time results are published for the introduction of a two‐stage process separated by a washing step.