Microwave-Assisted Urea-Based-Hydrotropic Pretreatment of Rice Straw: Experimental Data and Mechanistic Kinetic Models
Indah Hartati, Hary Sulistyo, Wahyudi Budi Sediawan, Muhammad Mufti Azis, Mohammad Fahrurrozi
Abstract
). Hence, the kinetic model with exclusion of lignin condensation is suggested more since it is mathematically simpler. The proposed mechanistic model can also predict the cellulose and hemicellulose dissolution and thereby can be used as a process optimization tool. The microwave-assisted urea-based hydrotropic pretreatment conducted at a solid-liquid ratio of 1:35, a urea concentration of 36.8%, a reaction temperature of 90 °C, and a pretreatment duration of 73.6 min is predicted to give a solid residue with low lignin content and high cellulose content which resulted in a cellulose to lignin ratio of 5.53. Cellulosic biomass characterization revealed that microwave-assisted hydrotropic pretreatment was able to produce higher crystallinity and thermally stable cellulosic biomass.