Experimental and Kinetic Modelling Studies on the Acid-Hydrolysis of Banyan Wood Cellulose to Glucose

Abstract

Bioconversion of agricultural waste products to produce value-added fuels and chemicals offers potential economical, environmental and strategic advantages over traditional fossil-based products. The kinetics of acid hydrolysis of cellulose isolated from banyan wood sawdust was studied at sulphuric acid concentration of 2 to 5 M (moles/dm³) and temperature ranging between 40 – 80 ^oC in a stirred conical flask which served as a batch reactor. The results showed that the rate of acid hydrolysis by virtue of glucose yield generally increased with increase in acid concentration and temperature used. The experimental data were fitted to integrated first order rate kinetics and the results obtained suggested a first order rate of glucose formation from banyan wood cellulose. The specific rate constant relatively increased with increase in acid concentration and temperature, respectively. The activation energy estimated from Arrhenius equation was found to be 6.75 kJ/mole. This value suggests the ease with which hydrolysis can occur between the four agricultural wastes cellulose.

Keywords: Acid-hydrolysis; Arrhenius equation; First-order kinetics; Glucose; Wood cellulose.