Low energy steam explosion treatment of plant biomass

Abstract The rational operational condition for maximizing the pretreatment effect on plant biomass while minimizing heat required was investigated. Eucalyptus globulus chips were used to evaluate the operational method for the most efficient conversion of plant biomass into useful materials by steam explosion. The energy consumption required to carry out the steam explosion was calculated by considering the mass balances of the water, the wood component, and the heat balance in the steam explosion apparatus. The energy consumption increased significantly with the increase of steam pressure and steaming time, and decreased rapidly with increase of the thickness of the heat‐insulating material in the steam explosion apparatus. The amount of methanol‐soluble lignin, a low molecular weight lignin, was measured experimentally under various operational conditions such as steam pressure and steaming time. The steam explosion at the steam pressure of 3.9 MPa and steaming time of 1.1 min was the most effective method for maximizing the delignification with low energy consumption. © 2001 Society of Chemical Industry