Radiation - enhanced biomass conversion of agricultural cellulosic wastes
De la Rosa, A.M. | Abad, L.V. | Michel, R.B.B.
Gamma radiation was utilized to induce structural changes in agricultural cellulosic wastes that would enhance the conversion of cellulose and the ligno-cellulosic components to glucose and other useful products. Micro-crystalline cellulose and agricultural cellulosic wastes were gamma irradiated at varying radiation doses (0-500 kgy). Structural studies using X-ray diffraction analysis, and fourier-transform infrared spectrophotometry show that gamma radiation induces some changes in the molecular and supermolecular structures of cellulose and agricultural cellulosic wastes thereby reducing their crystallinity and increasing their susceptibility to hydrolytic attack. The effect of the radiation treatment was assessed through a) acid and enzymatic saccharification of the cellulosic materials, and b) the ability of irradiated rice straw to support the growth of Trichoderma reesei. Gamma radiation significantly increased the acid and enzymatic hydrolysis of these materials. The extent of the radiation effect varied with the cellulosic sample. Rice straw exhibited the greatest radiosensitivity. Corn husk, rice hull and pure microcrystalline cellulose exhibited intermediate radiosensitivities. Sawdust gave the least sensitivity to gamma radiation. The radiation-treated rice straw was shown to be a better culture medium for Trichoderma reesei than the nonirradiated sample.
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