In nature, cellulose, lignocellulose and lignin are major sources of plant biomass; therefore, their recycling is indispensable for the carbon cycle. Each polymer is degraded by a variety of microorganisms which produce a battery of enzymes that work synergically. In the near future, processes that use lignocellulolytic enzymes or are based on microorganisms could lead to new, environmentally f...

Chinese Fir wood (Cunninghamia lanceolata (Lamb.) Hook) was subjected to extraction treatments with sodium chlorite (NaClO2) for delignification, as well as with sodium hydroxide (NaOH) at different concentrations for extraction of hemicelluloses. The wood was examined using a Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectrometer and microtension technique to track changes in the chemical and the mic...

Neutron diffraction profiles for cellulose from different sources were compared before and after alkaline hydrogen peroxide (AHP) treatment. It was found that AHP treatment did not cause detectable changes in the structure of highly polymerized cellulose. In measurements on wheat straw, peaks were observed at the angles characteristic of pure cellulose. Changes, with AHP treatment, of the inten...

To assess the feasibility of implementing hemicellulose recovery stages in kraft mills, Eucalyptus globulus wood samples were subjected to aqueous treatments with hot, compressed water (autohydrolysis processing) to achieve partial dissolution of xylan. Autohydrolyzed solids were subjected to kraft pulping under selected conditions to yield a pulp of low kappa number, and to an optimized TCF bl...

The application of enzymes such as laccase and xylanase for the preparation of cellulose from lignocellulosic material is an option for those industries seeking to reduce the use of chlorine-containing bleach agents, thus minimizing the environmental impact of their processes. Mixed hydrolytic and oxidative enzyme systems have been well described in the context of biopulping, and thus provide g...