Effect of dilute acid pretreatment on the chemical properties of Paulownia wood (Paulownia fortunei) for bioethanol production

Dilute acid pretreatment is a widely used method for lignocellulosic biomass breakdown and enhancing the accessibility of cellulose. Despite the growing interest in bioethanol production, the effects of dilute acid pretreatment on the chemical properties of Paulownia wood remain insufficiently understood, limiting the optimization of biomass conversion processes. This study explores the effect of dilute acid pretreatment on the chemical composition of Paulownia wood, aiming to optimize cellulose, holo-cellulose, and lignin content using response surface methodology. The investigated factors included acid concentration (۰.۲۵-۱.۷۵% w/w), pretreatment temperature (۳۰-۲۱۰ °C), and pretreatment time (۷.۵-۱۴۲.۵ min). The ANOVA results demonstrated that temperature was the most significant factor affecting cellulose, holocellulose, and lignin content (p<۰.۰۰۰۱), followed by acid concentration, while pretreatment time showed no statistically significant influence. The optimal pretreatment condition had an acid concentration of ۱.۵%, temperature of ۱۸۰ °C, and a time duration of ۳۰ min, which showed the lowest lignin content and the highest cellulose and holocellulose content. Fermentation of this sample yielded a bioethanol concentration of ۲.۸ g/l. This study provides a foundation for refining pretreatment strategies to maximize biomass valorization, highlighting the importance of temperature and acid concentration as key parameters in optimizing dilute acid pretreatment of Paulownia wood.

کلیدواژه ها:

Dilute acid pretreatment ، Paulownia wood ، Holocellulose ، Lignin ، Bioethanol ، Response Surface Methodology