Increasing the lignin yield of the Alkaline Polyol Pulping process by treating black liquor with laccases of Myceliophthora thermophila.

The Alkaline Polyol Pulping process separates cellulose from lignocellulosic biomass by dissolving lignin to a great extent. Due to the pulping conditions the dissolved lignin depolymerises and only 75% can be precipitated. To increase this amount, a 24 h reaction of laccases of Myceliophthora thermophila with lignin dissolved in black liquor of the AlkaPolP process was investigated.

Combining the effects of pulping severity and alkali concentration to optimize the lignocellulose-based AlkaPolP biorefinery concept.

Within the framework of the development of a novel lignocellulose biorefinery concept alkaline polyol pulping (AlkaPolP) of Pinus sylvestris was performed at different alkali concentrations. The obtained experimental data were used to develop simple mathematical models that allow the prediction of product yields and properties in dependence on a single parameter combining the effects of time, temperature and catalyst concentration. For this purpose the usual approach expressing the pulping severity R0 had to be complemented by the alkali concentration resulting in a modified severity factor R₀(').

Alkaline polyol pulping and enzymatic hydrolysis of hardwood: effect of pulping severity and pulp composition on cellulase activity and overall sugar yield.

The saccharification of beech wood using alkaline polyol pulping (AlkaPolP) and enzymatic hydrolysis was investigated. It will be demonstrated that the AlkaPolP process yields high quality pulps which can easily be hydrolyzed by cellulases. In order to find optimum reaction conditions chips of Fagus sylvatica were pretreated by alkaline glycerol at temperatures between 190 and 230 °C for 15, 20, and 25 min.

Alkaline polyol pulping and enzymatic hydrolysis of softwood: effect of pulping severity and pulp properties on cellulase activity and overall sugar yield.

The saccharification of softwood using alkaline polyol pulping (AlkaPolP) and enzymatic hydrolysis was investigated. It will be demonstrated that the AlkaPolP process yields high quality pulps which can easily be hydrolyzed by cellulases. Temperature (180-230°C) and duration (15-60 min) of the alkaline glycerol pulping, expressed as pulping severity R0, were varied to find optimum reaction conditions.