High-Solids Enzymatic Hydrolysis of Lignocellulosic Biomass

Enzymatic hydrolysis at high-solids loading is a pivotal step in converting lignocellulosic feedstocks into fermentable sugars for biofuels and biochemicals. By operating with over 15–20 % dry matter, processes achieve higher sugar concentrations, reduce water usage and lower downstream separation costs. However, solids-rich slurries exhibit complex rheological behaviour that impedes mixing and mass transfer, gives rise to a pronounced “high-solids effect” of declining sugar yields as substrate concentration increases, and exacerbates enzyme inhibition by hydrolysis products. Overcoming these challenges requires a multifaceted approach encompassing tailored enzyme cocktails, strategic feeding regimes, advanced pretreatment or mechanical conditioning of biomass, and reactor designs optimised for viscous media. Progress in this field carries global significance, offering pathways to more sustainable and cost-competitive biorefineries that valorise agricultural residues, dedicated energy crops and wood residues alike.

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High-Solids Enzymatic Hydrolysis of Lignocellulosic Biomass publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in high-solids enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Lignocellulosic biomass: Plant-derived material composed of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin, used as a renewable feedstock for biofuels and biochemicals.

High-solids loading: Operational regime where the dry matter content of biomass exceeds approximately 15 % (w/w), leading to more concentrated sugar streams but greater mixing challenges.

Enzymatic hydrolysis: Biocatalytic process in which cellulases and hemicellulases cleave polysaccharides into fermentable monosaccharides.

Rheology: Study of flow and deformation of high-solids slurries, critical for understanding viscosity, yield stress and mixing energy requirements.

Fed-batch operation: Process strategy in which substrate and/or enzymes are added incrementally during hydrolysis, mitigating product inhibition and viscosity build-up.

References

1. Constraints and advances in high-solids enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass: a critical review. Biotechnology for Biofuels and Bioproducts (2020).
2. Enzymatic hydrolysis cocktail optimization for the intensification of sugar extraction from sugarcane bagasse. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules (2023).
3. High-solids enzymatic hydrolysis of ball-milled corn stover with reduced slurry viscosity and improved sugar yields. Biotechnology for Biofuels and Bioproducts (2020).
4. Fed-batch enzymatic hydrolysis of alkaline organosolv-pretreated corn stover facilitating high concentrations and yields of fermentable sugars for microbial lipid production. Biotechnology for Biofuels and Bioproducts (2020).