Thermodynamic Consideration of Hydrolysis of Cellulose to Glucose Under Liquid to Semiliqid Conditions

Abstract

There is increase in awareness for deriving energy from renewable sources like biomass. Biomass contains lignin, cellulose, hemicellulose and lignocellulose. These basic carbohydrates can be converted into glucose molecules (as source of energy or fuel) or to other useful products. This can be achieved either by pyrolysis or degradation (by hydrolysis). In this study, we have considered glucose as monomer and all other constituents as polymer of glucose molecule, hence cellulose conversion to glucose is considered as depolymerisation of cellulose for n = 500 to n = 2. For cellulose it can range from few thousands. In this study, when thermodynamic principles(as derived from depolymerisation theory) are applied values of diffusivity found are in the unrealistic range for e.g. n = 5000 and diffusivity around 10-13 m2/sec, while for n = 500 to n = 2 realistic values of diffusion coefficient (10-7m2/sec) are obtained.

Keywords: Cellulose, Hydrolysis, Depolymerisation, Glucose

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