Valorization of corn stover in a single experimental unit: The synergistic effects of steam explosion and semi-continuous subcritical water processing

Abstract

Lignocellulosic waste, like corn stover (CS), is widely produced and serves as a key feedstock for biofuels and biochemicals. Semi-continuous subcritical water hydrolysis (SWH) is an eco-friendly method that breaks down cellulose and hemicellulose bonds. To boost fermentable sugar (FS) yields, steam explosion (SE) pretreatment was tested on CS, achieving a cellulose content of 74.06 % at 200 °C for 10 min. Hydrolysis of untreated (UCS) and pretreated (PCS) CS was conducted at temperatures of 230 °C and 260 °C, with solvent/biomass ratios (R-20, R-40). Maximum FS yields were 11.67 g/100 g for UCS and 19.28 g/100 g for PCS. Although SE increased FS yields, it also led to more inhibitors due to the higher sugar production. Overall, integrating SE with SWH improved FS yields.

Keywords: Biomass valorization; Fuel precursors; Hydrothermal process; Platform chemicals.