Skip to main content
Journal of Wood Science

Official Journal of the Japan Wood Research Society

Download PDF
  • Original Article
  • Published:

Two-step hydrolysis of Japanese beech as treated by semi-flow hot-compressed water

Journal of Wood Science volume 55, pages 367–375 (2009)Cite this article

Abstract

A two-step hydrolysis of Japanese beech (Fagus crenata) was conducted by semi-flow treatment with hot-compressed water. The first treatment stage was conducted at 230°C/10 MPa for 15 min and the second at 270°C/10 MPa for 15 min. Hemicellulose and lignin were found to be hydrolyzed in the first stage, while crystalline cellulose was hydrolyzed in the second stage. The treatment solubilized 95.6% of the Japanese beech wood flour into water with 4.4% remaining as water-insoluble residue, which was composed mainly of lignin. Hydrolysis products from the first stage were xylose and xylo-oligosaccharides, glucuronic acid and acetic acid from O-acetyl-4-O-methylglucuronoxylan, and hydrolyzed monomeric guaiacyl and syringyl units and their dimeric condensed-type units from lignin. Products from the second hydrolysis stage were glucose and cello-oligosaccharides from cellulose. The dehydrated products levoglucosan, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF), and furfural, as well as fragmented products glycolaldehyde, methylglyoxal, and erythrose, were recovered in the first stage from hemicellulose, and to a greater extent in the second stage from cellulose. Furthermore, organic acids such as glycolic, formic, acetic, and lactic acids were recovered in both stages. Based on these lines of evidence, decomposition pathways of O-acetyl-4-O-methylglucuronoxylan and cellulose are independently proposed.

References

  1. Ragauskas AJ, Williams CK, Davison BH, Britovsek G, Cairney J, Eckert CA, Frederick WJ Jr, Hallett JP, Leak DJ, Liotta CL, Mielenz JR, Murphy R, Templer R, Tschaplinski T (2006) The path forward for biofuels and biomaterials. Science 311:484–489

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Rostrup-Nielsen JR (2005) Making fuels from biomass. Science 308:1421–1422

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Farrell AE, Plevin RJ, Turner BT, Jones AD, O’Hare M, Kammen DM (2006) Ethanol can contribute to energy and environmental goals. Science 311:506–508

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Sticklen M (2006) Plant genetic engineering to improve biomass characteristics for biofuels. Curr Opin Biotechnol 17:315–319

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. McMillan JD (1996) Hemicellulose conversion to ethanol. In: Wyman CE (ed) Handbook on bioethanol: production and utilization. Taylor and Francis, Bristol, pp 287–313

    Google Scholar 

  6. Saka S (2000) Chemical composition and distribution. In: Hon DNS, Shiraishi N (eds) Wood and cellulosic chemistry, 2nd edn. Marcel Dekker, New York, pp 51–81

    Google Scholar 

  7. Mosier N, Wyman C, Dale B, Elander R, Lee YY, Holtzapple M, Ladisch M (2005) Features of promising technologies for pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass. Bioresource Technol 96:673–686

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Bobleter O, Niesner R, Rohr M (1976) The hydrothermal degradation of cellulosic matter to sugars and their fermentative conversion to protein. J Appl Polym Sci 20:2083–2093

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Mok WSL, Antal MJ Jr (1994) Biomass fraction by hot-compressed liquid water. In: Bridgwater AV (ed) Advances in thermochemical biomass conversion. Blackie, London, pp 1572–1582

    Google Scholar 

  10. Mok WSL, Antal MJ Jr (1992) Uncatalyzed solvolysis of whole biomass hemicellulose by hot compressed liquid water. Ind Eng Chem Res 31:1157–1161

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Ehara K, Takada D, Saka S (2005) GC-MS and IR spectroscopic analyses of the lignin-derived products from softwood and hardwood treated in supercritical water. J Wood Sci 51:256–261

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Kruse A, Dinjus E (2007) Hot compressed water as reaction medium and reactant. Properties and synthesis reactions. J Supercrit Fluids 39:362–380

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Kusdiana D, Minami E, Ehara K, Saka S (2002) Development of the batch-type and flow-type supercritical fluid biomass conversion systems. Proceedings of the 12th European Conference and Technology Exhibition on Biomass for Energy, Industry and Climate Protection, 17–21 June, 2002, Amsterdam, Netherlands, pp 789–792

  14. Liu C, Wyman CE (2003) The effect of fl ow rate of compressed hot water on xylan, lignin, and total mass removal from corn stover. Ind Eng Chem Res 42:5409–5416

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Ehara K, Saka S (2002) A comparative study on chemical conversion of cellulose between the batch-type and flow-type systems in supercritical water. Cellulose 9:301–311

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Sakaki T, Shibata M, Sumi T, Yasuda S (2002) Saccharification of cellulose using a hot-compressed water-flow reactor. Ind Eng Chem Res 41:661–665

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Ando H, Sakaki T, Kokusho T, Shibata M, Uemura Y, Hatate Y (2000) Decomposition behavior of plant biomass in hot-compressed water. Ind Eng Chem Res 39:3688–3693

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Phaiboonsilpa N, Lu X, Yamauchi K, Saka S (2009) Chemical conversion of lignocellulosics as treated by two-step semi-flow hot-compressed water. Proceedings of the World Renewable Energy Congress 2009 (WREC 2009), 19–21 May 2009, Bangkok, Thailand, pp 235–240

  19. Bobleter O (1994) Hydrothermal degradation of polymers derived from plants. Prog Polym Sci 19:797–841

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Srokol Z, Bouche AG, van Estrik A, Strik RCJ, Maschmeyer T, Peters JA (2004) Hydrothernal upgrading of biomass to biofuel: studies on some monosaccharides model compounds. Carbohydr Res 339:1717–1726

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Kabyemela BM, Adschiri T, Malaluan R, Arai K (1999) Glucose and fructose decomposition in subcritical and supercritical water: detailed reaction pathway, mechanisms, and kinetics. Ind Eng Chem Res 38:2888–2895

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Kabyemela BM, Adschiri T, Malaluan RM, Arai K (1997) Kinetics of glucose epimerization and decomposition in subcritical and supercritical water. Ind Eng Chem Res 36:1552–1558

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Kruse A, Dinjus E (2007) Hot compressed water as reaction medium and reactant 2. Degradation reactions. J Supercrit Fluids 41:361–379

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Palmqvist E, Hahn-Hägerdal B (2000) Fermentation of lignocellulosic hydrolysates. II: inhibitors and mechanisms of inhibition. Bioresource Technol 74:25–33

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Kallury RKMR, Ambidge C, Tidwell TT, Boocock DGB, Agblevor FA, Stewart DJ (1986) Rapid hydrothermolysis of cellulose and related carbohydrates. Carbohydr Res 158:253–261

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Kabyemela BM, Adschiri T, Malaluan R, Arai K (1997) Degradation kinetics of dihydroxyacetone and glyceraldehyde in subcritical and supercritical water. Ind Eng Chem Res 36:2025–2030

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Kabyemela BM, Adschiri T, Malaluan RM, Arai K, Ohzeki H (1997) Rapid and selective conversion of glucose to erythrose in supercritical water. Ind Eng Chem Res 36:5063–5067

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Watanabe M, Aizawa Y, Iida T, Levy C, Aida TM, Inomata H (2005) Glucose reactions within the heating period and the effect of heating rate on the reactions in hot compressed water. Carbohydr Res 340:1931–1939

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Yoshida K, Kusaki J, Ehara K, Saka S (2005) Characterization of low molecular weight organic acids from beech wood treated in supercritical water. Appl Biochem Biotechnol 121–124:795–806

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Sasaki M, Furukawa M, Minami K, Adschiri T, Arai K (2002) Kinetics and mechanism of cellobiose hydrolysis and retro-aldol condensation in subcritical and supercritical water. Ind Eng Chem Res 41:6642–6649

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Kruse A, Gawlik A (2003) Biomass conversion in water at 330–410▾C and 30–50 MPa. Identification of key compounds for indicating different chemical reaction pathways. Ind Eng Chem Res 42:267–279

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Socio-Environmental Energy Science, Graduate School of Energy Science, Kyoto University, Yoshida-honmachi, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan

    Xin Lu, Kazuchika Yamauchi, Natthanon Phaiboonsilpa & Shiro Saka

  2. College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China

    Xin Lu

Authors
  1. Xin Lu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Kazuchika Yamauchi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Natthanon Phaiboonsilpa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Shiro Saka
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Shiro Saka.

Additional information

This study was presented in part at the 17th Annual Meeting of the Japan Institute of Energy, Tokyo, August 2008, and at the 55th Annual Meeting of the Japan Wood Research Society, Matsumoto, March 15–17, 2009

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Lu, X., Yamauchi, K., Phaiboonsilpa, N. et al. Two-step hydrolysis of Japanese beech as treated by semi-flow hot-compressed water. J Wood Sci 55, 367–375 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10086-009-1040-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10086-009-1040-6

Key words