Abstract
As the utilization and consumption of lignocellulosic biomass increases, so too will the need for an adequate supply of feedstock. To meet these needs, novel waste feedstock materials will need to be utilized. Exploitation of these novel feedstocks will require information both on the effects of solvent extraction on the succeeding analysis of potential novel feedstocks and how accurate current methodologies are in determining the composition of novel lignocellulosic feedstocks, particularly the carbohydrate and lignin fractions. In this study, the effects of solvent extraction on novel feedstocks, including tree foliage, tree bark and spent mushroom compost, with 95% ethanol, water and both sequentially were examined. Chemical analyses were carried out to determine the moisture content, ash, extractives, post-hydrolysis sugars, Klason lignin (KL) and acid-soluble lignin (ASL) within the selected feedstocks. The result of extraction could be seen most strongly for Klason lignin, with a strong association between higher levels of Klason lignin levels and greater amounts of non-removed extractives (tree foliage and bark). Higher Klason lignin levels are reported to be due the condensation of non-removed extractives during hydrolysis, hence the lower Klason lignin determinations following extraction are more exact. In addition, total sugar determinations were lower following extractions. This is because of the solubility of non-cell-wall carbohydrates; thus, the determinations following extraction are more accurate representations of structural cell-wall polysaccharides such as cellulose. Such determinations will assist in determining the best way to utilize novel feedstocks such as those analyzed in this work.
Highlights
The need for sustainable and environmentally friendly sources of fuel and platform chemicals has become critically important in the energy field [1]
A previous compositional study on 63 different spent mushroom compost (SMC) samples taken from various sites within Ireland determined that SMC contained an average of 38% cellulose and 19% hemicellulose with respective ranges of 18–62% and 2–41% [24]. These contrast with the results shown in this study, with the total post-hydrolysis sugar determinations of not undergo extraction (NE) SMC samples close to the sum of the minimum cellulose and hemicellulose ranges but lower than the sum of the average values reported by previous studies [24]
Hydrolysis is used in the analysis of the most important components of biomass; cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin
Summary
The need for sustainable and environmentally friendly sources of fuel and platform chemicals has become critically important in the energy field [1]. Use of non-fossil-fuelbased chemicals and transport fuels will be required to meet targets proposed by the US government and the EU for the increased use of renewable energy [2]. Biomassderived biofuels are predicted to make up a substantial portion of these non-fossil-fuelbased chemicals and transport fuels. Second-generation feedstocks (“lignocellulosic feedstocks”—cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin) deriving from non-food plants, agricultural residues and municipal wastes offer several advantages over first-generation feedstocks: they do not use high-quality arable farmland, are not considered food sources, and are considered to be economically attractive being both low cost and abundant [1,3,4]. The economic and environmental sustainability of biorefineries will require the valorization of lignin along with the carbohydrate fractions into the future [5]
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