Sunday, May 4, 2008
3-16

Oxidative delignification of lignocellulosic biomass by H2O2 under alkaline conditions

Rajesh Gupta and Y. Y. Lee. Department of Chemical Engineering, Auburn University, 207 Ross Hall, Department of Chemical Engineering, Auburn, AL 36849

Hydrogen peroxide is a well-known bleaching reagent in pulping industry. Under alkaline conditions, it promotes hydrolysis as well as oxidative degradation of lignin. Degradation of two different biomass feedstocks (Hybrid poplar and Corn stover) was studied under alkaline conditions with and without the presence of H2O2. Various strategies of H2O2 addition was tested seeking efficient utilization as an oxidative agent. Ammonia and NaOH were used as alkaline reagents. Reaction mechanism in pretreatment process was investigated by characterizing the liquid and lignin separated in the pretreatment. The mode under which lignin and sugar fragments are solublized appears to affect the accessibility of enzyme molecules to the carbohydrate section of the treated biomass. Enzymatic hydrolysis of treated biomass by cellulase and other auxiliary enzymes (xylanase, pectincase.) were conducted to understand the degradation of biomass during pretreatment. Significant accumulation of xylo-oligosaccharides occurred during enzymatic hydrolysis by cellulase, which indicates that H2O2 increases the rate of hydrolysis of glycosidic linkages in hemicellulose.

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