Acid hydrolysis of cellulose in zinc chloride solution

Abstract

The efficient conversion of cellulosic materials to ethanol has been hindered by the low yield of sugars, the high energy consumption in pretreatment processes, and the difficulty of recycling the pretreatment agents. Zinc chloride may provide an alternative for pretreating biomass prior to the hydrolysis of cellulose. The formation of a zinc-cellulose complex during the pretreatment of cellulose improves the yield of glucose in both the enzymatic and acid hydrolysis of cellulose. Low-temperature acid hydrolysis of cellulose in zinc chloride solution is carried out in two stages, a liquefaction stage and a saccharification stage. Because of the formation of zinc-cellulose complex in the first stage, the required amount of acid in the second stage has been decreased significantly. In 67% zinc chloride solution, a 99.5% yield of soluble sugars has been obtained at 70°C and 0.5M acid concentration. The ratio of zinc chloride to cellulose has been reduced from 4.5 to 1.5, and the yield of soluble sugars is kept above 80%. The rate of hydrolysis is affected by the ratio of zinc chloride to cellulose, acid concentration, and temperature.