Skip to main content

Liquefaction of Corn Stover Pellets before Pretreatment by Enzyme Biocatalysis

Publication Date
Authors
Author Name
Diana Ramirez Gutierrez
Author Organization
Purdue University/Laboratory of Renewable Resources Engineering (LORRE), West Lafayette, IN, USA
Author Name
Antonio José Gonçalves da Cruz
Author Organization
Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, Brazil,
Author Name
Nathan Mosier
Author Organization
Purdue University/Laboratory of Renewable Resources Engineering (LORRE), West Lafayette, IN, USA
Author Name
David Thompson
Author Organization
Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho Falls, ID, USA
Author Name
John Aston
Author Organization
Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho Falls, ID, USA
Author Name
James Dooley
Author Organization
Forest Concepts LLC, Alburn, WA, USA
Author Name
Pankaj Sharma
Author Organization
Purdue University/Laboratory of Renewable Resources Engineering (LORRE), West Lafayette, IN, USA
Author Name
Kendra Erk
Author Organization
Purdue University/School of Materials Engineering
Author Name
Carl Wassgren
Author Organization
Purdue University/School of Mechanical Engineering, West Lafayette, IN, USA
Author Name
Eduardo Ximenes
Author Organization
Indiana University/ School of Public Health
Author Name
Michael R. Ladisch
Author Organization
Purdue University/Laboratory of Renewable Resources Engineering (LORRE), West Lafayette, IN, USA

Use of lignocellulosic biomass in continuous processes in biorefineries poses challenges due to its recalcitrant properties, feedstock variability, and materials handling of solids at large scale. Limitations include lignin derived inhibitors, and resistance to mixing due to rheological properties of lignocellulosic particulates at high solids loadings. Thus, this research examines formation of high loading slurries of corn stover at solid loadings of 300 g/L, and explores the role of low levels of cellulase enzymes on liquefaction in a fed batch process using the commercial enzymes Celluclast 1.5L or Ctec-2 at 1FPU/g or 3 FPU/g of dry solids, basis. Corn stover pellets were added into a 1 L stirred bioreactor containing enzyme solution in a fed-batch manner over a 5-hour period until reaching 30% solids loading (dry wgt / vol basis). After 6, 24 and 96 hours, samples were taken and characterized with respect to their sugar composition, rheology, water absorption, free water and enzyme activity. Slurries with dramatically reduced yield stresses were obtained compared to controls prepared without enzyme. Yield stresses of 178±7 Pa (3 FPU, Celluclast 1.5L) and 79±6 Pa (3 FPU, Ctec-2) were measured for corn stover at 6 and 24 hours, compared to 6,000 Pa for samples without enzyme. Yield stress was 155± 29 Pa (3FPU, Ctec-2) and 257 ± 72 Pa (1 FPU, Celluclast 1.5L) for corn cobs at 24 hours. Enzyme liquefaction and its ability to form high concentration slurries before pretreatment holds the potential to develop new and scalable processing strategies for cellulose biorefineries.

Source
ACS Fall 2024 Conference - Division of Catalysis Science & Technology - 4108767
Additional Guidance
This is user-contributed content. Please visit the original source for the most up-to-date and complete information. Report any inaccuracies to [email protected].