Study of wheat straw delignification in a rotary-pulsation apparatus

Abstract

This paper presents the results of studies of isolation lignin and hemicelluloses efficiency during the pre-treatment of wheat straw for hydrolysis in a rotary-pulsation apparatus. The pre-treatment of lignocellulosic raw materials for hydrolysis is a necessary step in the second-generation bioethanol production technology. The lignocellulose complex is destroyed during this process, and this allows hydrolytic enzymes access to the surface of cellulose fibers. The pre-treatment is the most energy-consuming stage in bioethanol production technology, since it usually occurs at high temperature and pressure for a significant time. One of the ways to improve the efficiency of this process is the use of energy-efficient equipment that allows intensifying heat and mass transfer. An example of such equipment is a rotary-pulsation apparatus, which are effective devices in stirring, homogenization, dispersion technologies, etc. The treatment of wheat straw in a rotary-pulsation apparatus was carried out under atmospheric pressure without external heat supply at solid/water ratios of 1:10 and 1:5 in the presence of alkali. It was determined that the treatment of the water dispersion of straw at ratio of 1:10 due to the energy dissipation during 70 minutes leads to the release of 42 % of lignin and 25.76 % of easily hydrolyzed polysaccharides. Changing the solid / water ratio from 1:10 to 1:5 leads to an increase in the yield of lignin and easily hydrolyzed polysaccharides to 58 and 33.38 %, respectively.