Sequential acid-/alkali-pretreatment of empty palm fruit bunch fiber

Published Date
April 2012, Vol.109:229–233, doi:10.1016/j.biortech.2012.01.036
Special Issue: Innovative Researches on Algal Biomass

Author 

• Seonghun Kim ^a,b,,
• Jang Min Park ^a
• Jeong-Woo Seo ^a
• Chul Ho Kim ^a,,

• aJeonbuk Branch Institute, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, 181 Ipsin-gil, Jeongeup 580-185, Republic of Korea
• bSynthetic Glycobiology Research Unit, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, 181 Ipsin-gil, Jeongeup 580-185, Republic of Korea

Received 18 November 2011. Revised 10 January 2012. Accepted 11 January 2012. Available online 20 January 2012. 

Abstract

Pretreatment processes are key technologies for generating fermentable sugars based on lignocellulosic biomass. In this study, we developed a novel method for empty palm fruit bunch fiber (EPFBF) using sequential pretreatment with dilute acid and then alkali. Dilute sulfuric acid was used in the first step, which removed 90% of the hemicellulose and 32% of the lignin, but left most of the cellulose under the optimum pretreatment condition. Sodium hydroxide was then applied in the second step, which extracted lignin effectively with a 70% delignification yield, partially disrupting the ordered fibrils of the EPFBF and thus enhancing the enzyme digestibility of the cellulose. The sequentially pretreated biomass consisted of 82% cellulose, less than 1% hemicellulose, and 30% lignin content afterward. The pretreated biomasses morphologically revealed rough, porous, and irregularly ordered surfaces for enhancing enzyme digestibility. These results indicate that the sequentially acid/alkali-pretreated EPFBF could be broadly useful as a novel biomass.

Highlights

► The sequential acid/alkali pretreatment of EPFBF was effective in removing hemicellulose and lignin. ► This pretreatment reduced the size of fibers and the strength of interactions with fibrils physically. ► It also enhanced enzyme digestibility. ► This novel pretreatment could produce a biomass of high cellulose content. ► The procedure fractionated xylose from hemicellulose and lignin via a sequentially pretreatment.

Keywords

Empty palm fruit bunch fiber

Sequential pretreatment

Diluted acid/alkaline pretreatment

Enzyme hydrolysis

Delignification

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  Corresponding authors. Address: Jeonbuk Branch Institute, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, 181 Ipsin-gil, Jeongeup 580-185, Republic of Korea. Tel.: +82 63 570 5113; fax: +82 63 570 5109 (S. Kim), tel.: +82 63 570 5110; fax: +82 63 570 5109 (C.H. Kim).

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