|
Poster Presentation 3-13
Kinetics Investigation on Hydrolysis of Corn Stover Hemicellulose by Dilute Sulfuric Acid
Yongming Zhu1, Y. Y. Lee1 and Richard Elander2
1Department of Chemical Engineering Auburn University, AL 36849
2National Renewable Energy Laboratory 1617 Cole Blvd. Golden CO 80401
Telephone: (334) 844-2019; Fax: (334) 844-2063; E-mail: yylee@eng.auburn.edu
The kinetics of dilute-acid pretreatment/hydrolysis of the hemicellulose in corn stover was experimentally investigated. The reaction conditions covered a typical range of pretreatment process; 150-180oC, and sulfuric acid concentration of 0.07-1.0%. Two different types of reactors were employed for the kinetic investigation: batch reactor for observation of reaction profiles to high conversion level, and a Bed-Shrinking Flow-Through (BSFT) reactor for study of isolated hydrolysis part of the reaction. The data were fit into a kinetic model that recognizes the presence of soluble xylose oligomers, monomers, and the decomposition of xylose. The model fitness and the associated kinetic parameters were determined. The roles that different pretreatment reaction conditions play in the formation of oligomeric products from the hemicellulose fraction of corn stover (primarily from xylan) were examined. The appropriate conditions for the conversion of oligomers to monomers were also explored. The data from BSFT reactor were further analyzed for application into process development.
|