Sugars Production from Wheat Straw Using Maleic Acid

摘要

In the present work, the acid hydrolysis of wheat straw was studied using a 3.75 L batch reactor. This kind of hydrolysis was catalyzed by 0.01-0.10 M maleic acid for 0-50 min at 140-220 °C. The analysis of experimental data of reaction kinetics indicates that this is a potential method for cellulose and hemicelluloses hydrolysis, due to a rapid hydrolysis reaction for adequately high reaction ending temperature. The kinetics of the acid hydrolysis of cellulose and hemicelluloses can be simulated by a kinetic model where the acidity of the liquid phase is affected by the acids produced within the complex network of reactions and by the neutralization due to the wheat straw ash content. The temperature profile during the process and the pH ending values were also studied. The reaction rate constants can be calculated according to this model using non-linear regression analysis. Process parameters investigated herein include variation in reaction ending temperature, maleic acid concentration and reaction time. The xylose and glucose monosaccharides and oligosaccharides produced by the acid hydrolysis process are appropriate for (i) fermentation in the bioethanol industry and (ii) high value chemicals production.