Abstract
Parameters such as pretreatment method, enzyme type and concentration, determine the conversion efficiency of biomass' cellulose and hemicellulose to glucose and mainly xylose in biomass-based fuel production. Chemical quantification of these processes offers no information on the effect of enzymatic hydrolysis (EH) on particle morphology. We report on the development of a microscopy method for imaging pretreated biomass particles at different EH stages. The method was based on acquiring large field of view images, typically 20×10 mm2 containing thousands of particles. Morphology of particles with lengths between 2 μm and 5 mm could be visualized and analyzed. The particle length distribution of corn stover samples, pretreated with increasing amounts of sulfuric acid at different EH stages, was measured. Particle size was shown to be dependent on pretreatment severity and EH time. The methodology developed could offer an alternative method for characterization of EH of biomass for second generation biofuels and visualization of recalcitrant structures.
Highlights
The production of biofuels from biomass is a field that has developed significantly during the last decade (Ragauskas et al, 2006; Fairley, 2011; Albers et al, 2016)
The large field of view (LFOV) methodology was used to visualize the morphology of pretreated and hydrolyzed corn stover samples. It is based on brightfield microscopy, contrast comes from absorption of light from biomass particles
Similar observations have been made on the chemical composition of hydrolyzed corn stover (Zeng et al, 2012; Avci et al, 2013), where based on high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), it was shown that conversion of cellulose and hemicellulose to monosugras is faster in the beginning of enzymatic hydrolysis (EH) and continues with reduced rate at later stages
Summary
The production of biofuels from biomass is a field that has developed significantly during the last decade (Ragauskas et al, 2006; Fairley, 2011; Albers et al, 2016). Economic, and social concerns (Kleiner, 2008) regarding the use of edible products for use in the industry or energy sector, the focus has diverted on the use of residue biomass to produce bioethanol and other chemicals (Ragauskas et al, 2006; Fairley, 2011). This second-generation biofuels are commonly produced from corn stover, sugar cane bagasse, or woody biomass from forest or industrial by-products (Ragauskas et al, 2006). The extraction and conversion of cellulose and hemicellulose, which are the energy bearing molecules in biofuel production, is a complex process associated with considerable costs.
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