Biotech Updates

Acid-Catalyzed Autohydrolysis Helps Improve Sugar Recovery from Wheat Straws

July 9, 2014
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960852414009353.

Researchers from Bursa Technical University in Turkey and North Carolina State University recently conducted a comparative study between autohydrolysis and acid-catalyzed autohydrolysis of wheat straw. The goal of the present study was to determine and understand the impact of acid addition on overall sugar recovery from wheat for biofuel production.

Acetic, sulfuric, hydrochloric and sulfurous acids were utilized for acid-catalyzed autohydrolysis. Acid-catalyzed autohydrolysis of wheat straw improved overall sugar recovery. Among the four acids, sulfurous acid showed the highest total sugar recovery at 81.2%. Autohydrolysis without acid only had 64.3% recovery.