Selective saccharification of crude glycerol pretreated sugarcane bagasse via fast pyrolysis: Reaction kinetics and life cycle assessment

Abstract

<p>Saccharification is a pivotal step in the conversion of lignocellulose to biofuels and chemicals. In this study, crude glycerol derived from biodiesel production was used in pretreatment to facilitate efficient and clean pyrolytic <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/saccharification" title="Learn more about saccharification from ScienceDirect's AI-generated Topic Pages">saccharification</a> of sugarcane bagasse. Delignification, demineralization, destruction of lignin-carbohydrate complex structure, and cellulose crystallinity improvement in crude glycerol pretreated biomass could enhance levoglucosan producing reactions against competitive reactions, and therefore facilitate a kinetically controlled pyrolysis with apparent activation energy increased by 2-fold. Accordingly, selective levoglucosan production (44.4%) was promoted by 6-fold whilst light oxygenates and lignin monomers were limited to <25% in bio-oil. Owing to the high-efficiency saccharification, life cycle assessment suggested that the environmental impacts of the integrated process were less than those of typical acid pretreatment and petroleum-based processes, especially on the acidification (8-fold less) and global warming potential. This study provides an environmentally benign approach to efficient biorefinery and waste management.<br></p>