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Factors to decrease the cellulose conversion of enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulose at high solid concentrations

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Abstract

The enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocelluloses is a key step in the production of ethanol. Economic considerations for large-scale implementation of the process require operation at high solid concentrations. However, the decrease in cellulose conversion offsets the advantages of working at high solid concentrations. The conversion showed a linear decrease in the reaction of pretreated corn stover (PCS) from 2 to 20 % (w/w) and filter paper from 1 to 10 % (w/w) initial total solid content. Hydrolysis experiments with PCS at various mixing speeds showed that the mass transfer limitation could not restrict the cellulose conversion except the solid concentrations over 5 % DM(w/w). The lignin, if added separately, does not correspond directly to the decrease. At increased concentrations, furfural and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural played a part in the effect, and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural only affected exoglucanase. Product inhibition caused by glucose accumulation at increased solid concentrations was found to be a significant and perhaps principal factor. The decrease in yield was caused by the synergetic inhibition, which was more serious with increased solid concentrations.

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Acknowledgments

This work was funded by the Independent Innovation Project of Jiangsu Province [no. CX (11)2051].

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Life Science and Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Technology, Nanjing, 210009, Jiangsu, China

    Jian Du & He Huang

  2. College of Science, Nanjing University of Technology, Nanjing, 210009, Jiangsu, China

    Yuanyuan Li, Hongman Zhang & Hongbo Zheng

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  1. Jian Du
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  2. Yuanyuan Li
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  3. Hongman Zhang
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  4. Hongbo Zheng
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  5. He Huang
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Correspondence to Hongman Zhang.

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Du, J., Li, Y., Zhang, H. et al. Factors to decrease the cellulose conversion of enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulose at high solid concentrations. Cellulose 21, 2409–2417 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10570-014-0301-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10570-014-0301-8

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