LAUSR

Abstract This work evaluated the viability of integrating the isolation of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) via enzymatic hydrolysis at a high solid loading into the biochemical platform process for the production of sugars from sugarcane bagasse (SCB). SCB was first processed at a biochemical conversion pilot plant and bleached to yield a cellulose-rich pulp, which was enzymatically hydrolyzed at high solid and low enzyme loadings. The resulting hydrolysate had high sugar concentration (>120 g/L glucose) and the CNCs (20 nm in diameter) isolated directly from the hydrolysis residue showed superior properties (higher thermal stability, higher crystallinity index, and higher particle diameter uniformity) than the CNCs prepared from commercial bleached eucalyptus Kraft pulp. These findings demonstrate the technical viability of the proposed integrated process that combined with the high CNCs yield (approximately50%) and the no need for the costly ultrasonic dispersion treatment step to obtain nanoparticles can further contribute for improving the economic and environmental viability of the proposed enzyme-mediated isolation process.