7-05: The effects of lignin removal and drying on the porosity and enzymatic hydrolysis of sugarcane bagasse

The porosity of the lignocellulosic materials is a key feature for the enzymatic hydrolysis of the cellulose, being affected by its drying and lignin content. Here we show that both parameters influenced the porosity of the sugarcane bagasse, although only the lignin content has been able to affect the enzymatic action. The mild drying collapsed only the smaller pores, which already were inaccessible to cellulases. Our results show that the lignin content plays an important role on the porosity of the material, and that its removal improves the enzymatic saccharification of cellulose.

Acknowledgements: Fapesp, CNPq and CAPES