Energy and Autohydrolysis By-Products from Industrial Crops

Abstract

The world is experiencing a growing shortage of raw materials which is especially severe in the sector and being worsened by the unfavorable environmental impact of a consumerist culture revolving around the exploitation of non-renewable resources. In this work, the calorific value and chemical composition of liquors resulting from the autohydrolysis of six different lignocellulosic materials was determined (Eucalyptus globulus, Arundo donax, Leucaena diversifolia, Paulownia fortunei, Sunflower stalks and Chamaecytisus proliferus) and was assessed for the obtainment of energy, sugars and other chemical products by using of integral fractionation based on autohydrolysis. Autohydrolysis processes have been considered interesting in the case of timber species studied compared with herbaceous species with variations in the extraction of the xylan fraction at 180 ℃ between 19.68% for Eucalyptus globulus and 36.79% for Leucaena diversifolia and 200 ℃ between 57.86% for Paulownia fortunei and 79.13 % for Chamaecytisus proliferus. In general, all materials show a solid fraction energy from the hydrolysis to 200 ℃ than 180 ℃ and raw materials. It is interesting as the potential economy valuation of the liquid fractions of the hydrolysis, the solid waste recovery present more energetic profitability.