ETHANOL FROM SOUTHERN HARDWOODS: THE ROLE OF PRESULFONATION IN THE ACID HYDROLYSIS PROCESS
- 1 July 1988
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Taylor & Francis in Chemical Engineering Communications
- Vol. 69 (1) , 115-127
- https://doi.org/10.1080/00986448808940608
Abstract
A two-stage acid hydrolysis process is currently used in the production of ethanol from hardwoods. In this process, dilute sulfuric acid in water at high pressure and short residence times hydrolyzes the wood and first stage substrate. The chemical action is particularly impeded in the second stage by the presence of acid condensed lignin. Presulfonation followed by delignification is proposed using a sulfur dioxide/water sulfuric acid/ethanol treatment step in place of the first stage acid hydrolysis step to alleviate this problem. Results presented include the effects caused by varying treatment time, sulfur dioxide concentration, temperature and ethanol concentration on the degree of delignification, and, on the recovery of C5 and C6 sugars in the hydrolysates. A preliminary economic feasibility analysis is made to determine the impact of improved ethanol yields and lignin by-product values in the production of ethanol from hardwoods.Keywords
This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: