Energy and autohydrolysis by-products from industrial crops

Abstract

The world is experiencing a growing shortage of raw materials which is especially severe in the energy sector and being worsened by the unfavorable environmental impact of a consumerist culture revolving around the exploitation of non-renewable resources. In this work, the calorific value and chemical composition of liquors resulting from the autohydrolysis of six different lignocellulosic materials was determined (Eucalyptus globulus, Arundo donax, Leucaena diversifolia, Paulownia fortunei, Sunflower stalks and Chamaecytisus proliferus –tagasaste-) and was assesed for the obtainment of energy, sugars and other chemical products by using of integral fractionation based on autohydrolisys. Autohydrolysis processes have been considered interesting in the case of timber species studied compared with herbaceous species with variations in the extraction of the xylan fraction at 180 º C and 200 ° C.