Acid Hydrolysis of Prehydrolysis Liquor Produced from the Kraft-Based Dissolving Pulp Production Process

Acid hydrolysis is an essential step in converting polysaccharides to monosaccharides for the production of fuels and chemicals. The prehydrolysis liquor (PHL) from the kraft-based dissolving pulp production process contains mainly oligosugars with a minor amount of monosugars. In this study, the influence of process conditions, including the sulfuric acid concentration, temperature, and time on the PHL hydrolysis was thoroughly investigated in order to get maximum monosugar concentration with minimal degradation of sugars. The maximum monosugar concentration was obtained at 130 degrees C for 20 min when the hydrolysis was carried out with 1.78% H2SO4. A high acid concentration (3.33%) increased furfural formation and decreased the monosugar concentration. Acetic acid is generated from the acetyl groups bound to the dissolved hemicelluloses, resulting in a significant increase in the acetic acid concentration in the PHL.