Processing Lignocellulosic Feedstock Using Ionic Liquids for Biorefinery Application
F.A. Augusto (TU Delft - BT/Bioprocess Engineering)
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Abstract
The use of Lignocellulosic residues (LC) such as conventional food crop remains, for Bioenergy and Biorefinery applications is an attractive way to increase feedstock availability without the investment in additional land area. Moreover, it is noteworthy that biomolecules produced from LC, namely second generation (2G), has a potentially better greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions balance. One of the most economically successful lignocellulosic sources is the sugarcane crop, with a global production of about 1.7 gigatonnes in 2019. Although LC is rich in carbohydrates, 40 – 90 wt%, these sugars are not readily converted due to their molecular structure. Consequently, it must be treated, so that LC’s molecular nature is changed into a more convenient arrangement favoring subsequent conversions. Such process is called pretreatment (PT) and is considered the most important step to obtain an efficient conversion of LC’s constituents. Recently, ionic liquids (ILs) have emerged as an alternative technology for biomass pretreatment. ILs can break the H bonds which stabilize LC’s molecular structure, improving components solubility and/or turning LC’s structure more susceptible to further conversions, such as improving the enzymatic digestibility of pretreated solids.