Thermochemical pre-treatment

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The test bed Thermochemical pretreatment can be used to decompose biomass to be able to more easily access / expose desired structures / molecules within the biomass.

For example, the test bed can break down cellulose from hemi and lignin into chips in order to access the sugar molecules in the cellulose.

The test bed consists of a reactor and an expansion vessel. The reactor has a volume of 40 liters and can withstand a pressure of approximately 30 bar, a maximum temperature of 225 ° C and a wide pH range. Several different types of biomass can be treated in the reactor with direct high-pressure steam. The reactor is equipped with a jacket that can be used to heat the reactor. When emptying the reactor, a steam explosion of the material is created due to the pressure difference between the reactor and the expansion vessel, which opens up the biomass structure and makes the biomass polymers more accessible for subsequent processes.

The test bed is equipped so it is possible to make pretreatments with the addition of sulfur dioxide (SO2). A value with the pilot is that you can test a material on a larger scale and in a more industrial / real context compared to a lab scale.

Depending on what is to be achieved, the next step may be, for example, enzymatic hydrolysis in one of RISE bioreactors. If a dewatered product is desired, the pretreated pulp can be dewatered in one of the existing filter presses or screw presses at Processum for further treatment in other process steps.


Source: RISE