Sugar yields from dilute sulfuric acid and sulfur dioxide pretreatments and subsequent enzymatic hydrolysis of switchgrass.

Dacotah switchgrass was pretreated with sulfuric acid concentrations of 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 wt.% at 140, 160, and 180 °C and with 1 and 3 wt.% sulfur dioxide at 180 °C over a range of times. Sulfur dioxide loadings of 0%, 1%, 3%, 5%, and 10%wt.% of dry biomass were also tested at 180 °C for 10 min. Sugar yields were tracked for pretreatment and subsequent enzymatic hydrolysis to identify conditions for the highest total sugar yields. Pretreatment with 1 wt.% dilute sulfuric acid at 140 °C for 40 min followed by enzymatic hydrolysis with 48.6 mg enzyme/g initial glucan in raw biomass resulted in ∼86% of theoretical yield for glucose and xylose combined. For sulfur dioxide pretreatment, the highest total sugar yield of about 87% occurred at 5% SO₂ for 10 min and 180 °C. However, xylose yields were higher at shorter times and glucose yields at longer times.