title: Laboratory and pilot scale pretreatment of sugarcane bagasse by acidified aqueous glycerol solutions.
abstract: Pretreatment of sugarcane bagasse with acidified aqueous glycerol solution was evaluated at both laboratory and pilot scales. Laboratory scale pretreatment (4.00 g dry mass in 40.00 g liquid) with glycerol solutions containing ≤ 20 wt.% water and 1.2 wt.% HCl at 130°C for 60 min resulted in biomass having glucan digestibilities of ≥ 88%. Comparable glucan enzymatic digestibility of 90% was achieved with bagasse pretreated at pilot scale (10 kg dry mass in 60 kg liquid) using a glycerol solution containing 0.4 wt.% HCl and 17 wt.% water at 130°C for 15 min. We attribute more efficient pretreatment at pilot scale (despite shorter reaction time and reduced acid content) to improved mixing and heat transfer in a horizontal reactor. Pretreatment of sugarcane bagasse with acid-catalysed glycerol solutions likely produces glycerol-glycosides, which together with hydrolysed lignin are potential substrates for the production of biopolymers.
authors.affiliation: Syngenta Centre for Sugarcane Biofuels Development, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia. jan.zhang@qut.edu.au
authors.forename: Zhanying
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Heng H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Peter L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Albertson
authors.forename: William O S
authors.initials: WO
authors.lastname: Doherty
authors.forename: Ian M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: O'Hara
mesh_terms: D019149:Bioreactors; D002480:Cellulase / Q000378:metabolism; D002482:Cellulose / Q000378:metabolism*; D005936:Glucans / Q000378:metabolism; D005990:Glycerol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006851:Hydrochloric Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006868:Hydrolysis / Q000187:drug effects; D007700:Kinetics; D007753:Laboratories; D010865:Pilot Projects; D031786:Saccharum / Q000187:drug effects*; D012996:Solutions; D013696:Temperature; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D005936:Glucans; D012996:Solutions; D002482:Cellulose; C027433:bagasse; D002480:Cellulase; D005990:Glycerol; D006851:Hydrochloric Acid