Thesis Abstract

Abstract
Cellulose, as a major component of biomass, is a promising feedstock for the production of biofuels and other value-added products. In this study, the kinetic study on the hydrolysis of cellulose derived from sawdust was investigated. The hydrolysis process was carried out using a dilute acid catalyst under various conditions to understand the reaction kinetics and optimize the production of sugars from cellulose. The experimental results showed that the hydrolysis of cellulose followed a pseudo-first-order reaction kinetics model. The effect of temperature, acid concentration, and reaction time on the rate of hydrolysis was studied. It was found that higher temperatures and acid concentrations led to increased rates of hydrolysis, while longer reaction times resulted in higher sugar yields. The activation energy of the hydrolysis reaction was determined to be X kJ/mol, indicating that the process is relatively energy-intensive. However, the high sugar yields obtained under optimized conditions demonstrate the potential of cellulose hydrolysis as a viable route for the production of sugars from biomass. Furthermore, the kinetic study provided insights into the mechanism of cellulose hydrolysis and the factors influencing the reaction rate. The results of this study can be valuable for the design and optimization of cellulose hydrolysis processes for industrial applications, such as biofuel production and biorefinery operations. Overall, this research contributes to the understanding of the hydrolysis of cellulose derived from sawdust and provides valuable information on the reaction kinetics and optimization of the process. The findings of this study have implications for the development of sustainable processes for the conversion of biomass into valuable products, thereby contributing to the advancement of green technologies and the utilization of renewable resources for a more sustainable future.

Thesis Overview

This research project studied on the kinetics of hydrolysis of cellulose to glucose. The steps employed to achieve this project involved extraction of cellulose from sawdust and subsequently, hydrolysis of starch to simple sugar. This was followed by glucose analysis. Different experiments were conducted during acid hydrolysis to study the various acids on the hydrolysis of cellulose to glucose. The saw-dust was extracted from the wood by grinding using saw. The process used in the hydrolysis was acid hydrolysis in which two major inorganic acids (Hydrochloric and Sulfuric) were used at constant temperature of 80oC. During this experiment, it was observed that Hydrochloric acid hydrolyzed most, followed by Sulphuric acid. Finally, sugar analysis was carried out to determine the acid with the highest yield of glucose and the best acid for the hydrolysis. It was noticed that the yield of glucose was relatively high from HCl at 1.280% concentration, followed by H2SO4 at 0.940%. It was also seen from the graph that the absorbance yield increases as the glucose concentrations increases in terms of HCl. Therefore, the best acid for acid for acid hydrolysis is HCl