Implications of chemical and physical factors on the biological processing of lignocellulose

Abstract

It is hoped that recognition of the chemical and physical factors touched on above will lead to their assimilation early in the process development. Although the depolymerization of plant cell wall material and the subsequent metabolism of the fragments are entirely effected by biological processes in nature, practical considerations of rates, concentrations, selectivity and susceptibility will require chemical or physical processing as well for the production of chemicals and materials from wood. These processes will break the polymers down into small molecules or at the very least serve as pretreatments to confer accessibility to the polymers in lignified cell walls. Further conversion of the small molecules into useful chemicals and materials may then be carried out by either biological or chemical processing as desired.