Conversion of Corn Stover to Chemicals and Fuels

Abstract

Corn stover consists of the stalks, leaves, cobs, and husk. About 1 kg of stover is produced per kg of grain. The thermal conversion of biomass to organic liquid products can be accomplished using liquefaction and pyrolysis methods. Thermochemical conversion processes are promising means for converting corn stover into valuable products such as chemicals and fuels. Alkali salts, such as sodium carbonate and potassium carbonate, can act as hydrolysis of cellulose and hemicelluloses into smaller fragments. The heavy oil obtained from the liquefaction process is a viscous tarry lump. The pyrolysis products from corn stover were classified as paraffins, olefins, carbonyl compounds, aldehydes, alcohols, phenols, and ethers. The yields of paraffin, aldehyde, and phenol increased with increase of the pyrolysis temperature. Bioethanol is derived from alcoholic fermentation of sucrose or simple sugars, which are produced from biomass by hydrolysis process. It is possible that corn stover may be economically converted to bioethanol.

Keywords:

• biomass
• corn stover
• fermentation
• hydrolysis
• liquefaction
• pyrolysis