Physico-chemical kinetic modelling of hydrolysis of a steam-explosion pre-treated corn stover: A two-step approach

A physico-chemical kinetic model for the hydrolysis of pre-treated corn stover is proposed. This model takes into account two reactions in series, the hydrolysis of cellulose to cellobiose and the production of glucose from cellobiose. Experiments have been carried out with an industrial enzymatic cocktail from Trichoderma reesei containing endo and exoglucanases and a very low activity of beta-glucosidase. Kinetic parameters were calculated by fitting the proposed model to experimental data of cellulose and glucose concentrations with time. The kinetic parameters fulfilled all relevant statistical and physical criteria. The kinetic model has been validated with published saccharification data regarding differently pre-treated corn stover and enzymatic cocktail, in this case with a very high beta-glucosidase activity (as it is common in modern industrial cellulase cocktails). In both cases, the kinetic model proposed could be fitted very appropriately to cellulose hydrolysis data.