Modelling of homogeneously catalyzed hemicelluloses hydrolysis in a laminar-flow reactor. (23rd February 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Pérez Nebreda, A.; Russo, V.; Di Serio, M.; Salmi, T.; Grénman, H.
• Is Part Of: Chemical engineering science. Volume 195(2019)
• Page Start: 758
• Page End: 766
• Publication Date: 2019-02-23
• Subjects: Laminar flow -- Reactor modelling -- Kinetics -- Acid hydrolysis -- Hemicelluloses -- Sugars; Chemical engineering -- Periodicals; Génie chimique -- Périodiques; Chemical engineering; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 660
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ces.2018.10.021
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0009-2509

Abstract

Highlights: Acid catalyzed hydrolysis of galactoglucomannan and inulin was studied. A specially constructed isothermal continuous reactor setup was employed. A dynamic mass balance-based reactor model was developed and successfully implemented. Mechanistically based self-accelerating kinetics was utilized. Numerical simulations were further used to demonstrate the laminar flow behaviour. Abstract: Hydrolysis of hemicelluloses with acid catalysts yield different sugar monomers and oligomers, depending on the substrate as well as the process design. The hydrolysis kinetics are typically rather slow, which leads to requirements of long residence times, i.e. slow flow rates, in order to achieve adequate conversion. Hydrolysis experiments of two different polysaccharides – o -acetylgalactoglucomannan (GGM) and inulin - were conducted in an isothermal tubular continuous reactor in laboratory scale, working in the laminar flow regime. A dynamic mass balance-based reactor model was developed, including convection and molecular diffusion in axial and radial directions, as well as the self-accelerating kinetics of the reaction. The model gave a very satisfactory description of the experimental data. The behavior of the laminar flow reactor in the hemicellulose hydrolysis was further illustrated by numerical simulations.