Production of dissolving pulp from Eulaliopsis binata with the concept of integrated biorefinery

Abstract

In this work, the grass material of Eulaliopsis binata (EB) was used for the production of dissolving pulp with the concept of integrated biorefinery. Sequential treatments were conducted via dilute acid-assisted pre-hydrolysis with the hemicellulose removal rate of 89.5%, ammonium sulfite (AS) treatment and KOH treatment with the delignification rate of 91.7%, as well as bleaching for the further purification of pulp. Results showed that, after the sequential treatments, the resultant pulp had 92.1% of α-cellulose, a degree of polymerization of 544, and 53.8% reactivity, which met the quality requirement of dissolving pulp for viscose production. In addition, the obtained pre-hydrolysis liquor with a high concentration of xylose and low concentration of inhibitors could be subjected to bioethanol fermentation, and the spent liquor derived from AS and KOH treatments could be used to produce fertilizer. Therefore, the entire process for the manufacture of EB dissolving pulp could be economic and sustainable.