(394d) Co-Products of Bioenergy System: Characterization of Saccharification Residuals

Co-Products of Bioenergy System: Characterization
of Saccharification Residuals

Han-Seung Yang¹, William
T. Y. Tze¹, Jonathan Schilling¹ and Shona Duncan¹

¹Department
of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering

University of
Minnesota Saint Paul, MN
55108-6130USA

Tel: 612-625-5200   Fax: 612-625-6286

e-mail: hsyang@umn.edu

The objective of this study is to investigate the effects of
dilute acid pretreatment and enzymatic saccharification on the reactivity,
porosity, and crystallinity of solid residuals of biomass.  Aspen wood flour was pre-treated with a
dilute acid treatment followed by enzymatic saccharification.  The solid phase of the saccharification
process was analyzed using standard NREL protocols for amounts of lignin, pentosans,
and hexosans.  The functional groups
of solid residuals were analyzed using mid-infrared spectroscopy and hydroxyl
numbers.  The porosity and
crystallinity of the solids were also evaluated using
respectively, nitrogen adsorption and X-ray diffraction.  Cellulose nanocrystals were extracted
from the solid residuals and verified using atomic force microscopy.  The results will be discussed in the
light of reactivity, porosity, and crystallinity of saccharification residues to
pave the way for down-stream conversion into co-products of bioenergy
(bio-alcohol) systems.