Comparative evaluation of steam-assisted treatments of biomass components and sweet sorghum bagasse

Abstract

A process originally used for the fractionation of sweet sorghum bagasse powder was evaluated using biomass components such as cellulose, xylan and lignin. The autohydrolysis of the substrates was conducted at 121±0.5°C with isothermal treatment time of 90 min. The lime treatment of the autohydrolysed substrates was conducted at 121±0.5°C for 106 min with 0.1 g Ca(OH)₂ dosage per gram of the substrates. The responses from the treatment of the biomass components were used to evaluate the responses observed during the treatment of the sweet sorghum bagasse. Carbon dioxide gas at a flow rate of 17 mL*min⁻¹ was used for the precipitation of lignin and lime from the liquid obtained from the lime treatment process. The process responses were also compared and confirmed using the Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometry and the differential scanning calorimetry of the sweet sorghum bagasse and the treated and untreated biomass components.

Keywords:

• sweet sorghum bagasse
• fractionation
• biomass components
• autohydrolysis
• lime treatment
• CO₂ treatment

Additional information

Funding

The authors are acknowledging the financial assistance from the Fonds Québécois de la Recherche sur la Nature et les Technologies (FQRNT) and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).