Wood Hydrolysis and Hydrolyzate Detoxification for Subsequent Xylitol Production

Abstract

This study deals with two different aspects of the transformation of lignocellulosics into xylitol: the optimization of conditions for wood hydrolysis and the setting-up of an adequate hydrolyzate detoxification procedure necessary to obtain high xylitol yields in the successive fermentation process. A comparison between the processes of wood autohydrolysis (steam explosion) and pre-hydrolysis with dilute sulfuric acid, carried out batch-wise in laboratory scale, shows comparable yields, either in terms of final concentrations of xylose and pentose sugars in the hydrolyzate or of solubilised fraction of wood. On the other hand, notwithstanding the longer time required, the pre-hydrolysis with dilute sulfuric acid produced acid hydrolyzates with lower contents of inhibiting substances (furfural, acetic acid, etc.). In order to obtain satisfactory xylitol yields from the hydrolysate produced by steam explosion, samples of this hydrolyzate were submitted to different detoxification techniques and then fermented batch-wise by a Pachysolen tannophilus strain previously adapted to this substrate. The best detoxification was performed by adding to the traditional overliming with Ca(OH)2 and sulfite reduction, three steps of a) filtration to remove insoluble substances, b) stripping of acetic acid and furfural, and c) lignin-derived compounds removal by adsorption on charcoal. The fermentation of this hydrolyzate was very effective, achieving a final xylitol concentration of 39.5 g/l from 89.0 g/l xylose after 96 h, corresponding to a volumetric productivity of 0.41 g/lh and a product yield of 0.63 g/g.