(617a) Calculation of Sugar Yields From High Solid Hydrolysis of Lignocellulosic Biomass

Accurate determination of sugar yields is important for the evaluation of an enzymatic hydrolysis process. Calculation of sugar yields at high solids is complicated primarily by the varying liquid volume and liquid density owing to solid solubilization and sugar liberation. Ignoring these factors can lead to significant errors in yield calculation. In this paper, a mathematical method was developed for yield calculation in high solids hydrolysis. The information needed in the calculation includes the composition of the substrate, initial solid loading, initial liquid density, and the sugar concentrations before and after hydrolysis. All of these parameters are measurable with conventional procedures. The method was validated experimentally for a range of different substrates and solid loading up to 30 wt%. Compared to the other methods found in the literature, this method is easy to use and represents good accuracy.