Optimization of steam explosion to enhance hemicellulose recovery and enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose in softwoods

摘要

A combination of Douglas fir heartwook and sapwood chips were steam pretreated under three conditions as measured by the Severity Factor (log R_o) which incorporated the time, temperature/pressure of pretreatment. By adjusting the steam pretreatment conditions, it was hoped to recover the majority of the hemicellulose component as monomers in the water s olube stream, while providing a cellulosic rich water insolube fraction that could be readily hydrolyzed by cellulases.