title: The effect of hydrogen peroxide concentration and solid loading on the fractionation of biomass in formic acid.
abstract: This study investigated the fractionation of biomass using a decomposing mixture of hydrogen peroxide-formic acid as a pretreatment for the biorefining of Miscanthus × giganteus and of sugarcane bagasse. The main parameters investigated were the hydrogen peroxide concentration (2.5, 5.0 and 7.5 wt%) and biomass loading (5.0 and 10.0 wt%). At the highest hydrogen peroxide concentration used (7.5 wt%), the energy released by the decomposition of the H2O2 could heat the reaction mixture up to 180 °C in a short time (6-16 min). As a result, highly delignified pulps, with lignin removal as high as 92 wt%, were obtained. This delignification process also solubilised a significant amount of pentosan (82-98 wt%) from the initial biomass feedstock, and the resulting pulp had a high cellulosic content (92 wt%). The biomass loading only affected the reaction rate of hydrogen peroxide decomposition. Various analytical methods, including Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric and elemental analyses, characterized the lignin obtained.
authors.affiliation: Carbolea Research Group, Department of Chemical and Environmental Sciences, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dussan
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chemical and Engineering Sciences, 1 Pesek Road, Jurong Island 627833, Singapore.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Girisuta
authors.affiliation: Carbolea Research Group, Department of Chemical and Environmental Sciences, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Haverty
authors.affiliation: Carbolea Research Group, Department of Chemical and Environmental Sciences, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland.
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Leahy
authors.affiliation: Carbolea Research Group, Department of Chemical and Environmental Sciences, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland. Electronic address: Michael.H.Hayes@ul.ie.
authors.forename: M H B
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Hayes
mesh_terms: D018533:Biomass; D002482:Cellulose / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005591:Chemical Fractionation; D005561:Formates / Q000737:chemistry*; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000737:chemistry*; D008031:Lignin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D031786:Saccharum / Q000737:chemistry*; D012995:Solubility; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared
chemical_list: D005561:Formates; C030544:formic acid; D002482:Cellulose; D008031:Lignin; C027433:bagasse; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide
keywords: Formic acid; Fractionation; Hydrogen peroxide; Miscanthus×giganteus; Sugarcane bagasse