Detoxification of furanic aldehydes of the hemicellulosic hydrothermal hydrolysate of brewers' spent grains by continuous adsorption on a fixed-bed column

Author(s)

Torres-Mayanga, Paulo. C. C. ; Castro, Luiz E. N. ; Azambuja, Suellen P. H. ; Lachos-Perez, Daniel ; Brown, Avery. B. B. ; Timko, Michael. T. T. ; Goldbeck, Rosana ; Forster-Carneiro, Tania ; Rostagno, Mauricio. A. A.

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: BIOFUELS BIOPRODUCTS & BIOREFINING-BIOFPR; v. N/A, p. 14-pg., 2023-02-10.

Abstract

During the process of subcritical water hydrolysis of lignocellulosic compounds, such as brewers' spent grains, some toxic compounds can be formed due to the breakdown of the cellulose structure. These compounds are known as furanic aldehydes, and they are inhibitors of microorganisms that are used in different processes, such as fermentation and anaerobic digestion, among others. The detoxification and conditioning of these hydrolysates are required before their use in other processes that require low concentrations of toxins. One of the mechanisms that can be used to diminish those compounds is the adsorption process. For this reason, this study evaluated at-line and in-line purification strategies using different adsorbents in fixed-bed columns to remove furanic aldehydes from a model feed simulating hydrolysate from subcritical water hydrolysis. The model feed consisted of simple sugars and furanic aldehydes at appropriate concentrations. The selected adsorbents were silica-C18, hydrocarbons, and activated carbon. The results indicate that, among the adsorbents that were studied, activated carbon was the most efficient for the removal of both 5-hydroxymethylfurfural and furfural. The activated carbon removed >99% of furanic aldehydes in the experiments conducted in the at-line system. Sequential subcritical water hydrolysis followed by either at-line or in-line purification is promising for integrated inexpensive and efficient hydrolysate purification. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 21/04096-9 - Integration of the extraction/hydrolysis processes in subcritical water and purification for the valuation of grape bagasse in a biorrefinery concept
• Grantee: Luiz Eduardo Nochi de Castro
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• FAPESP's process: 20/10323-5 - Life cycle and technical-financial assessment of the integration of anaerobic digestion and hydrothermal technologies for waste recovery
• Grantee: Luz Selene Buller
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• FAPESP's process: 18/14938-4 - Waste2energy: integration of supercritical technologies and anaerobic digestion through an automated system for the production of biofuel precursors
• Grantee: Tânia Forster Carneiro
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Young Investigators Grants - Phase 2
• FAPESP's process: 18/05999-0 - Waste2energy: integration of the supercritical and anaerobic digestion technologies for the management of water and food waste
• Grantee: Tânia Forster Carneiro
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 18/14582-5 - Development of a two-dimensional extraction, separation and analysis system for evaluating the bioactivity of phytochemicals
• Grantee: Maurício Ariel Rostagno
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Young Investigators Grants - Phase 2