Evaluation of chlorine dioxide as a supplementary pretreatment reagent for lignocellulosic biomass.

Chlorine dioxide (ClO) is a bleaching reagent used in paper industry. Two different types of pretreatment methods were investigated incorporating ClO as a secondary reagent: (a) alkaline followed by ClO treatment; (b) dilute-sulfuric acid followed ClO treatment. In these methods, ClO treatment has shown little effect on delignification.

Effect of thermal pretreatment on equilibrium moisture content of lignocellulosic biomass.

The equilibrium moisture content (EMC) of raw lignocellulosic biomass, along with four samples subjected to thermal pretreatment, was measured at relative humidities ranging from 11% to 97% at a constant temperature of 30 °C. Three samples were prepared by treatment in hot compressed water by a process known as wet torrefaction, at temperatures of 200, 230, and 260 °C. An additional sample was prepared by dry torrefaction at 300 °C.