Comparison of Dilute Organic and Sulfuric Acid Pretreatment for Enzymatic Hydrolysis of Bamboo

Pretreating bamboo is essential to overcome the recalcitrance of lignocellulose for bioethanol production. In this study, the effectiveness of formic, acetic, and sulfuric acids in pretreating bamboo were compared. To measure pretreatment efficiency, the enzymatic digestibility of the pretreated bamboo substrates was determined. Monomeric glucose conversion yield was measured after enzymatic hydrolysis. Additionally, the sugar degradation products fermentation inhibitors were measured after pretreatment. After conducting many tests, it was determined that pretreatment with dilute formic acid at 180 °C and 30 min can be an acceptable alternative to dilute sulfuric acid pretreatment.