Noncatalytic Conversion of Cellulose in Supercritical and Subcritical Water.

TLDR

The study investigates noncatalytic conversion of cellulose in supercritical and subcritical water. Rate constants for cellulose and glucose decomposition were measured at 25 MPa over 473–673 K using semi‑batch and flow reactors, and cellulose hydrolysis rate constants were derived from these data. The authors found that noncatalytic conversion of cellulose in near‑critical water rapidly produced water‑soluble species with a high glucose yield that rose with temperature, and the measured hydrolysis, pyrolysis, and glucose decomposition rates accounted for the observed yields.

Abstract

This paper describes the noncatalytic conversion of cellulose in supercritical and subcritical water. First, it was demonstrated that even without any acid catalyst, cellulose was rapidly converted to water soluble species with a relatively high glucose yield in near critical water and glucose yield increased with elevating temperature. Then the rate constants for cellulose decomposition and glucose decomposition were evaluated at a pressure of 25 MPa over a temperature ranging from 473 K to 673 K by using semi-batch reactor and a flow reactor, respectively. From the reported cellulose pyrolysis rate constant and the evaluated cellulose decomposition rate constant, cellulose hydrolysis rate constant was evaluated. By using the cellulose hydrolysis rate, cellulose pyrolysis rate and the glucose decomposition rate, glucose yield obtained in the semi-batch experiment was reasonably explained.