Characterization of a Forest Products Waste Effluent for Production of Fermentable Sugars and Co-Products During Hydrolysis

A forest product waste effluent with low solids percentage (≤10%) containing cellulose, hemicelluloses, lignin and other complex carbohydrates was treated with dilute acid to generate fermentable sugars. In order to understand the effects of the acid hydrolysis, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) was employed to study the structure of the solids suspended in the waste effluent, and the solids remaining after the hydrolysis. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) were also used to evaluate the change in chemical composition due to the hydrolysis. In addition to the organic content, the mineral content of the solids was analyzed by Atomic Absorption (AA) Spectroscopy. Together with a sugar content analysis using a High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), characterization pre and post treatment provides a clear image of the acid hydrolysis process and compositional changes of the effluent solids during hydrolysis.