| Depolymerization of Lignocellulosic Materials | ||
| Gang Huang1, Hossein Toghiani2, Charles U. Pittman Jr.1 and W. Todd French3, (1)Chemistry, Mississippi State University, P.O. Box 9595, MS State, MS 39762, (2)Chemical Engineering, Mississippi State University, 330 Swalm Circle President Dr., Mississippi State University, MS 39762, (3)Chemical Engineering, Mississippi State University, Box 9595, Mississippi State, MS 39762 Two types of biomass, switch grass and giant miscanthus, were subjected to pretreatment and acid hydrolysis. The pretreatments used on the grass samples included size-reduction, extraction and concentrated acid impregnation. BET surface area measurements indicated that the size-reduction and extractive-removal by water and ethanol resulted in changed surface areas compared to the as-received biomass samples. Analysis of the as-received and extractive-free samples showed that extractions with water and with ethanol removed inorganic compounds present in the as-received biomass samples. Under the same conditions of acid hydrolysis, the extractive-free samples displayed a greater extent of depolymerization of the cellulose and hemicellulose content compared to the as-received samples. Employing weight ratios of biomass to acid ranging from 1:2 to 1:10, 72% sulfuric acid was used. Examination of experimental results indicated that a biomass/acid weight ratio of 1:3 resulted in the greatest extent of depolymerization for both types of biomass. Extended Abstract Status: Not Uploaded | ||