Kinetic studies of corn stover saccharification using sulphuric acid.

The kinetics of crystalline cellulose and hemicellulose hydrolysis in corn stover were studied with a nonisothermal technique. Reactions were arrested at temperatures between 160 and 240 degrees C and product sugars were analyzed using a Bio-Rad HPX-85 liquid chromatographic column. A simple first-order series reaction model was used for both cellulose and hemicellulose hydrolysis reactions. Kinetic parameters were obtained for three different sulphuric acid concentrations (0.49, 0.92, and 1.47 wt %). Activation energies remained constant over this acid concentration range but the preexponential factors showed an increase with acid concentration. Relationships were obtained between the preexponential factors and acid concentrations. Cellulose hydrolysis and glucose degradation reactions were observed to be of higher order with respect to acid concentration in comparison with the previous studies with other raw materials.