Abstract

The major obstacle during pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass centers mostly on the insufficient separation of lignin from cellulose that could further be converted into bioenergy and other useful chemicals. The choice of an optimum biomass pretreatment process depends on the digestibility of lignocellulosic material, cost-effectiveness and overall impact on the environment. Kraft pulp samples from sawdust wastes obtained along the Lagos Lagoon in Nigeria were delignified with 30% hydrogen peroxide and successively saccharified with Trichoderma viridecellulase during different incubation periods. Oxidative delignification of all Kraft pulped sawdust samples resulted in an increased degree of bioconversion relative to the saccharification of Kraft pulped sawdust. The highest percentage increase in saccharification during bioconversion of delignified Kraft pulped sawdust relative to degradation of only Kraft pulped sawdust was as follows: Sawdust from R. heudelotii showed an increase of 727% after 30 min of degradation with a 447% increase obtained from the same sawdust after an incubation period of 1 h. An increase of 323% was calculated for sawdust from E. suaveolens and I. asarifoliaduring a degradation period of 3 h with a 238% increase in glucose production fromM. excelsa sawdust after a 6 h period of cellulase treatment.

Key words: Bioenergy, sawdust, Trichoderma viride cellulase, delignification, saccharification.