Dilute acid hydrolysis of i-214 poplar clone wood grown in turkey: Experimental optimisation study

Abstract

Lignocellulosic materials are potential sources for low cost bioethanol, a renewable energy source produced through fermentation of sugars. Poplar as a fast growing native tree is suitable for this purpose, in term of energy forestry in Turkey. Dilute sulphuric acid pretreatment at high temperatures is a leading technology for the thermochemi-cal pre-hydrolysis of wood. This study is focused on the experimental optimisation of dilute acid hydrolysis applied to I-214 poplar clone grown in Turkey. Constrained D-optimum plan was applied to obtain regression models which were subsequently used for maximising hexose, pentose and total sugar yields.The optimum conditions are as follows: – maximum glucose yield (71.3%): reaction temperature: 190°C, acid concentration: 0.073% and hydrolysis time: 25 min; – maximum pentose yield (99.5%): reaction temperature: 219.5°C, acid concentration: 0.051% and hydrolysis time: 24.5 min; – maximum total sugar yield (67.1%): reaction temperature: 220°C, acid concentration: 0.075% and hydrolysis time: 25 min. © 2018 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.