Polar aprotic solvent properties influence pulp characteristics and delignification kinetics of CO2/Organic base organosolv pretreatments of lignocellulosic biomass

Polar aprotic solvent properties influence pulp characteristics and delignification kinetics of CO2/Organic base organosolv pretreatments of lignocellulosic biomass

[Display omitted] •Polar aprotic organosolv pretreatments rapidly delignify softwoods.•Morphology of organosolv pulps is uniquely impacted by solvent properties.•Solvent polarity and molar volume influence delignification kinetics. In the present study, polar aprotic solvents (e.g., dimethylimidazol...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Chemical engineering science Vol. 288; p. 119808
Main Authors: Agwu, Kelechi A., Belmont, S. Rae, Enguita, Jayna M., Sheehan, James D.
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier Ltd 15-04-2024
Subjects:
Biorefining
Delignification
Kinetic modeling
Lignocellulosic biomass
Organosolv
Polar aprotic solvents
Delignification
Organosolv
Biorefining
Kinetic modeling
Lignocellulosic biomass
Polar aprotic solvents
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Summary:[Display omitted] •Polar aprotic organosolv pretreatments rapidly delignify softwoods.•Morphology of organosolv pulps is uniquely impacted by solvent properties.•Solvent polarity and molar volume influence delignification kinetics. In the present study, polar aprotic solvents (e.g., dimethylimidazolidinone (DMI), sulfolane (SUL), dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO)) and organic bases with low vapor pressures are evaluated for the organosolv processing of lodgepole pine. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is also evaluated as a pulping additive. Under mild conditions (150–200 °C, 2–10 bar), appreciable delignification (80–85 wt%) is observed within 60 min for all solvent candidates. Amongst the solvent candidates, DMSO promotes the highest delignification (∼85 wt%), albeit at the cost of low pulp yields (∼0.3 g/g). SUL organosolv facilitates comparable delignification (∼80 wt%) while maintaining high yields of pulp (∼0.6 g/g). Solvent speciation impacts morphological characteristics of the residual pulps as DMI and SUL pulps consist of bundled fibrous structures whereas DMSO pulps comprise randomly oriented strains. A first-order, kinetic model is applied to quantify delignification kinetics and demonstrates that solvents with high dielectric constants and low molar volumes readily facilitate delignification.
ISSN:0009-2509
1873-4405
DOI:10.1016/j.ces.2024.119808