Production of cellulose nanocrystals integrated into a biochemical sugar platform process via enzymatic hydrolysis at high solid loading

Author(s)

Pereira, Barbara ^[1] ; Arantes, Valdeir ^[1]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Lorena Sch Engn, Dept Biotechnol, Biocatalysis & Bioprod Lab, Lorena, SP - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: INDUSTRIAL CROPS AND PRODUCTS; v. 152, SEP 15 2020.
• Web of Science Citations: 1

Abstract

This work evaluated the viability of integrating the isolation of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) via enzymatic hydrolysis at a high solid loading into the biochemical platform process for the production of sugars from sugarcane bagasse (SCB). SCB was first processed at a biochemical conversion pilot plant and bleached to yield a cellulose-rich pulp, which was enzymatically hydrolyzed at high solid and low enzyme loadings. The resulting hydrolysate had high sugar concentration (> 120 g/L glucose) and the CNCs (20 nm in diameter) isolated directly from the hydrolysis residue showed superior properties (higher thermal stability, higher crystallinity index, and higher particle diameter uniformity) than the CNCs prepared from commercial bleached eucalyptus Kraft pulp. These findings demonstrate the technical viability of the proposed integrated process that combined with the high CNCs yield (approximately50%) and the no need for the costly ultrasonic dispersion treatment step to obtain nanoparticles can further contribute for improving the economic and environmental viability of the proposed enzyme-mediated isolation process. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 15/02862-5 - NANOCEL - development of enzyme mixtures for the preparation of nanocelluloses by a biohibrid process
• Grantee: Valdeir Arantes
• Support Opportunities: Program for Research on Bioenergy (BIOEN) - Young Investigators Grants