Optimization of reverse-flow, two-temperature, dilute-acid pretreatment to enhance biomass conversion to ethanol

Abstract

A reverse-flow, two-temperature dilute-acid prehydrolysis process of commercial yellow poplar sawdust using two percolation reactors was designed to simulate countercurrent flow of the biomass solids and prehydrolysis liquor, and to exploit the xylan biphasic kinetics. Lower temperatures (150–174°C) are initially applied to hydrolyze the easily hydrolyzable xylan, and higher temperatures (180–204°C) are applied to hydrolyze the remaining xylan. Two reactors were used to optimize each temperature range, using varying concentrations of sulfuric acid from 0.073–0.73 wt% and reaction times. Yields of soluble xylose, as high as 97% of theoretical, expressed as monomeric and oligomeric xylose, have been achieved with only 2.9% of the xylan being degraded to furfural, at concentrations of total potential sugar between 2.4 and 3.7 wt% before flashing. Depending on the combined severity of the acid concentration, residence time of the solids and liquor, and temperature of prehydrolysis, 81–100% of the hemicellulose, 3–32% of the glucans, and up to 46% of the Klason lignin could be solubilized. The lignocellulosic substrate produced from the pretreatment is readily converted to ethanol at a yield of approx 91% of theoretical, with ethanol concentrations of up to 4.0 wt% in 55 h via a simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) process. In terms of xylose recovery and ethanol production level and rate, the present results are far superior to those previously reported using a single-temperature, dilute-acid pretreatment.