Evaluation of the inter-particle interference of cellulose and lignin in lignocellulosic materials

The inter-particle interference of lignocellulosic materials describes the order of the macromolecules at a larger size scale, which can give information about the pore structure, and interface of cellulose and lignin. The pore structure and interface influence the rate of enzymatic hydrolysis and thermal decomposition in cellulosic ethanol manufacturing. In this study, the inter-particle interference of cellulose and lignin of three major categories of lignocellulosic materials: wood-based (cedar and oak), energy crop (bamboo), and agricultural or forestry waste (palm) were evaluated. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) reveals morphological irregularities in the case of bamboo and palm, which may form nucleation sites for faster accessibility to enzyme molecules. Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) shows increased power-law exponent for palm, suggesting a less clustered structure, which was consistent with the rough surface morphology as detected by the SEM. Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) showed a higher temperature maximum for cedar and oak, which is indicative of higher intermolecular forces within their organic compounds, and could result in slower disintegration of the macromolecules during biochemical processing. This study will help to estimate the activity of the macromolecules and absorption capacity of lignocellulosic materials during biochemical processing.