Products From Hot-Water Extraction of Woody Biomass

Lignocelluylosic biomass is mainly composed of cellulose, hemicelluloses and lignin. The majority of the existing bioconversion processes, either through themochemical or biochemical route, treat biomass feedstock as a whole in at severe conditions. It is recognized the thermo and chemical degradation rates are significantly different among with an order of hemicelluloses, lignin and cellulose. As a consequence, the value of hemicelluloses and lignin from biomass are diminished when going directly to cellulose. Replaceing the pretreatement with hot-water extraction, a host of products can be produced from the hemicellulose fraction. This presentation will provide an update to the hot-water extraction process and its product separation from woody biomass.