Hydrolysis of cellulose using HCl: A comparison between liquid phase and gaseous phase processes

Higgins, F.J. and Ho, G.E. (1982) Hydrolysis of cellulose using HCl: A comparison between liquid phase and gaseous phase processes. Agricultural Wastes, 4 (2). pp. 97-116.

Abstract

Cellulose constitutes a significant portion of a large amount of agricultural and forest residues, as well as urban waste derived from forest products (e.g. waste paper), and represents a potential for the production of ethanol, a liquid fuel. To realise this potential it is necessary to hydrolyse the cellulose to fermentable sugars. Hydrolysis using HCl in solution and as a gas was investigated using α-cellulose, newspaper, wheat straw and wheat hulls as substrates, at room temperature and also when the reaction was heated. It was found that the use of HCl gas resulted in a more rapid hydrolysis of crystalline cellulose and a significant increase was observed in the hydrolysis rate when the reaction, which had proceeded at room temperature, was heated to 50°C, when either HCl acid or gas was used. Similar results were obtained with whole newspaper and wheat straw as substrates.