The effect of hydrogen peroxide concentration and solid loading on the fractionation of biomass in formic acid

• Published in: Carbohydrate polymers 2014-10, Vol.111, p.374-384
• Main Authors: Dussan, K., Girisuta, B., Haverty, D., Leahy, J.J., Hayes, M.H.B.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Applied sciences; Biological and medical sciences; Biomass; Cellulose - chemistry; Cellulose - isolation & purification; Cellulose and derivatives; Chemical Fractionation; Exact sciences and technology; Formates - chemistry; Formic acid; Fractionation; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General agronomy. Plant production; Hot Temperature; Hydrogen peroxide; Hydrogen Peroxide - chemistry; Lignin - chemistry; Lignin - isolation & purification; Miscanthus × giganteus; Natural polymers; Physicochemistry of polymers; Saccharum - chemistry; Solubility; Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; Sugarcane bagasse; Use of agricultural and forest wastes. Biomass use, bioconversion
• ISSN: 0144-8617; 1879-1344
• DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2014.04.039

•Hydrogen peroxide in concentrated formic acid decomposed for biomass fractionation.•Pretreatment presents selectivity for solubilisation of lignin and hemicellulose.•High temperatures (180°C) reached in short times with high lignin removal (∼92%).•Monomeric pentoses are recovered significantly (60–70%) in the liquid phase.•Lignin and pulps are fit to use in other thermochemical and biological processes. This study investigated the fractionation of biomass using a decomposing mixture of hydrogen peroxide-formic acid as a pretreatment for the biorefining of Miscanthus×giganteus and of sugarcane bagasse. The main parameters investigated were the hydrogen peroxide concentration (2.5, 5.0 and 7.5wt%) and biomass loading (5.0 and 10.0wt%). At the highest hydrogen peroxide concentration used (7.5wt%), the energy released by the decomposition of the H2O2 could heat the reaction mixture up to 180°C in a short time (6–16min). As a result, highly delignified pulps, with lignin removal as high as 92wt%, were obtained. This delignification process also solubilised a significant amount of pentosan (82–98wt%) from the initial biomass feedstock, and the resulting pulp had a high cellulosic content (92wt%). The biomass loading only affected the reaction rate of hydrogen peroxide decomposition. Various analytical methods, including Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric and elemental analyses, characterized the lignin obtained.