Recovery of saccharides from lignocellulosic hydrolysates using membranes: A mini review on significant parameters

Abstract

The use of lignocellulosic biomass has received a lot of attention due to concerns for environmental sustainability and an increasing global waste problem. In order to solve these problems, lignocellulosic biomass can be converted to fuels and chemicals. Since lignocellulose biomass is a renewable feedstock, the conversion process solves the waste problem and produce chemicals simultaneously. However, one of the major challenge in the development of biorefineries is the separation and purification of the biomass hydrolysates. Effective recovery of saccharides and the removal of impurities such as acetic acid and furfural are required as these compounds can inhibit the fermentation process. In this paper, a critical review of membrane technology related to the recovery of saccharides from lignocellulosic hydrolysates is presented. Effects of membrane materials, operating conditions and feed characteristics on the selectivity and productivity of the membrane processes are discussed. The challenges and future outlook of membrane assisted saccharide recovery are also presented.