초록 ▼

Processes for treating cellulosic substances prior to hydrolysis which lead to shortening hydrolysis time and to increasing sugar yield. As exemplary, an aqueous slurry of the cellulosic substance is acidified and heated to and maintained at a temperature to produce a change in the cellulosic struct

Processes for treating cellulosic substances prior to hydrolysis which lead to shortening hydrolysis time and to increasing sugar yield. As exemplary, an aqueous slurry of the cellulosic substance is acidified and heated to and maintained at a temperature to produce a change in the cellulosic structure; the heating period is controlled so that there is little glucose formation. The pretreated cellulose may be subsequently hydrolyzed by acid or enzyme.

대표청구항 ▼

A process for pretreating a cellulosic substance, that comprises: preparing a slurry of the cellulosic substance; adding an acid to the slurry to serve as a catalyst; heating the slurry to a reaction temperature at which the cellulose structure of the cellulosic substance is modified by interaction

A process for pretreating a cellulosic substance, that comprises: preparing a slurry of the cellulosic substance; adding an acid to the slurry to serve as a catalyst; heating the slurry to a reaction temperature at which the cellulose structure of the cellulosic substance is modified by interaction with the acid to a form which is significantly more susceptible to hydrolysis than the untreated substance; maintaining the reaction temperature of the slurry with the acid therein at said temperature for a time period that is long enough for most of the cellulosic substance therein to be modified to said form, said time period being short enough to prevent formation of significant amounts of glucose from cellulose and/or significant recrystallization of the cellulose structure; and quenching the slurry to reduce to insignificance the reaction between the acid and the thusly modified cellulosic substance. A process for pretreating a cellulosic substance, that comprises forming an aqueous slurry containing the cellulosic substance; heating the slurry to a reaction temperature in the range from about 180°C. to 300°C. for a period of time respectively in the range from about five minutes to a fraction of a minute; and quenching the slurry.