The influence of pretreatment and enzyme loading on the effectiveness of batch and fed-batch hydrolysis of corn stover.

To try to improve hydrolysis yields at elevated solids loadings, a comparison was made between batch and fed-batch addition of fresh substrate at the initial and later phases of hydrolysis. Both ethanol (EPCS) and steam-pretreated corn stover (SPCS) substrates were tested at low (5 FPU) and high (60 FPU) loadings of cellulase per gram of cellulose. The fed-batch addition of fresh substrate resulted in a slight decrease in hydrolysis yields when compared with the corresponding batch reactions.

Can the same steam pretreatment conditions be used for most softwoods to achieve good, enzymatic hydrolysis and sugar yields?

Wood chips from six different Douglas-fir trees and a representative Lodgepole pine were steam pretreated at a single pretreatment condition (200 °C 4% SO₂ 5 min) which had previously been shown to be effective for Spruce and Lodgepole pine chips. All of the softwood samples responded in a similar fashion with more than 60% of the cellulose hydrolysed after 72 h, at an enzyme loading of 20 FPU/g cellulose. However, when the enzyme loading was reduced to 5FPU, less than 27% of the cellulose was hydrolysed.

Comparison of methods to assess the enzyme accessibility and hydrolysis of pretreated lignocellulosic substrates.

Fiber size analysis, water retention value, and Simons' stain measurements were assessed for their potential to predict the susceptibility of a given substrate to enzymatic hydrolysis. Slight modifications were made to the fiber size analysis and water retention protocols to adapt these measurements to evaluate substrates for cellulolytic hydrolysis rather than pulps for papermaking. Lodgepole pine was pretreated by the steam and ethanol-organosolv processes under varying conditions.

An evaluation of British Columbian beetle-killed hybrid spruce for bioethanol production.

The development of bioconversion technologies for production of fuels, chemicals, and power from renewable resources is currently a high priority for developed nations such as the United States, Canada, and the European Union as a way to improve national energy security and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The widespread implementation of such technologies will require a sustainable supply of biomass from forestry and agriculture. Forests are a major source of feedstocks for biofuels production in Canada.