2007 Volume 86 Issue 9 Pages 712-717
Characteristics of decomposition and saccharification of various lignocellulosic biomass were investigated with a percolator type reactor under hydrothermal conditions with three-step heating (30°C, 130°C and 200°C) for fractionation of components in the biomass. Herbaceous biomass (rice straw, barley straw) showed high solubilized products yield in the each fraction in comparison with woody biomass (eucalyptus, douglas fir and Japanese cedar). The solubilized products obtained at 280°C were mainly the hemicellulose-derived monomers and oligomers.
The main component of hydrothermal treatment residue was cellulose. Particularly, in case of herbaceous biomass, the ratio of cellulose in the residue reached about 80%. This is because of lignin in the herbaceous biomass was easy to solubilize in comparison with that in woody biomass.
The recovered hydrothermal-residues were treated with cellulase. In case of cellulose in the herbaceous biomass-residue was converted into glucose at 60% yield. On the other hand, in case of woody biomass, the residue was hardly converted into glucose. Japanese cedar-residue was treated at 280°C. The solubilized products were treated with cellulase. As a result, cellulose in the Japanese cedar was converted into hexose (glucose+fructose) at 60% yield.
