Hydrothermal pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis of mixed green and woody lignocellulosics from arid regions

Abstract

Utilization of multi-specie feedstocks is imperative for application of lignocellulosic biorefineries in arid regions. Different lignocellulosic residues vary in composition and anatomical features. Pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis are two processes at the front end of any lignocellulosics biorefinery applying biochemical pathway, and have to efficiently deal with the variance in the feedstock composition and properties. However, there is limited knowledge about effect of mixing different lignocellulosics on pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis yields. In this study effect of mixing on the yields from hydrothermal pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis was analyzed by mixing three different lignocellulosic residues - Bermuda grass, Jasmine hedges, and date palm fronds. Results showed that the individual and the mixed lignocellulosics gave same yields when treated under similar conditions of hydrothermal pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis. It indicates that this mixture can be a suitable feedstock for lignocellulosic biorefinery.

Keywords: Enzymatic hydrolysis; Hydrothermal pretreatment; Mixed lignocellulosic residues; Mixing; Residues.