Influence of Tween 80 on enzymatic hydrolysis of corn straw integrated with membrane separation

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the influence of Tween 80 on the enzymatic hydrolysis of corn straw integrated with two-step membrane separation of reaction products and recovery of enzymes. Supplementation of the reaction mixture with 0.6% (w/v) Tween 80 resulted in an increased yield of hydrolysis carried out with Cellic® CTec2, both in batch and membrane bioreactor, compared to the enzymatic process conducted without surfactant. In the microfiltration membrane bioreactor, the glucan and xylan saccharification yields were, on average 31.2% and 25.5%, respectively, higher than without using Tween 80. Besides, the addition of Tween 80 significantly enhanced membrane permeability during hydrolysis without impacting its retention coefficients toward catalytic proteins. The ultrafiltration enables partial enzyme recovery and supply enzymes for a new hydrolysis process. Results obtained in this study proved the benefits of using Tween 80 in enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass. Reduction of membrane fouling by surfactant during hydrolysis increases the filtration efficiency and extends the membrane lifetime.