Design and Economic Evaluation of Cellulose Hydrolysis Processes

Abstract

In this chapter, commercial hydrolysis processes for a variety of cellulosic materials are described; both enzymatically and acidically catalyzed processes are included. It appears, however, that the former remains largely at the conceptual or developmental stage; most of the commercial processes in operation, while rather limited in number, are said to belong to the latter. Nevertheless, the procedure for process economic evaluation and optimization of hydrolysis of cellulosic materials is illustrated with two examples from the former one utilizing relatively pure cellulose and the other lignocellulosic material as substrates, because of the future potential of the enzymatically catalyzed processes.