New strategy for liquefying corn stover pellets
Antonio C Freitas Dos Santos1, Jonathan C Overton1, Ryan Szeto2
1Laboratory of Renewable Resources Engineering (LORRE), Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907 United States; Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907 United States.
Bioresource Technology
|August 22, 2021
Summary
Biorefineries can improve feedstock processing by creating higher concentration corn stover slurries. A new method using maleic acid and enzymes liquefies corn stover to 300 g/L, overcoming flowability issues.
Area of Science:
- Biomass processing
- Biorefinery operations
- Sustainable chemistry
Background:
- Efficient feedstock processing is crucial for biorefinery capacity.
- Current methods for corn stover slurries are limited to 150 g/L due to flowability issues.
- Lignocellulosic biomass requires effective pretreatment for biofuel production.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel strategy for liquefying corn stover at higher solids concentrations.
- To improve the operability and efficiency of biorefineries by enhancing slurry transport.
- To reduce the inhibitory effects of biomass components on enzymatic hydrolysis.
Main Methods:
- Cooking corn stover with maleic acid (40 mM) at 150°C.
- Enzymatic modification for 6 hours using 1 FPU (2.2 mg protein)/g solids.
- Measuring yield stress to assess slurry flowability.
Main Results:
- Achieved corn stover liquefaction at 300 g/L solids concentration.
- Reduced slurry yield stress from 6806 Pa (untreated) to 171 Pa (6h) and 58 Pa (48h).
- Minimized inhibitory effects of xylo-oligomers on hydrolytic enzymes.
Conclusions:
- The new strategy enables pumping of high-concentration lignocellulosic slurries into biorefinery reactors.
- This approach significantly enhances biorefinery operability and design capacity.
- The method overcomes limitations of current biomass slurry preparation techniques.
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