Comparison of alkaline and ionic liquids pre-treatment applied to residues of perennial crops

Lignocellulose materials are potentially valuable feedstocks for biofuels and bioproducts. However, their complicated structures make it difficult to fractionate into cellulose, hemicelluloses, and lignin, which limits their utilization and economical conversion into value-added products. A partial or complete delignification and a total hydrolysis of hemicelluloses and cellulose are achieved using traditional chemical pre-treatments (acid or alkali-catalyzed processes), but the formation of toxic sub products raises environmental concerns. Lately, much attention has been given to the role of ionic liquids (ILs) that can act as an alternative pre-treatment method for lignocellulosic biomass fractionation. Ionic liquids offer a different ecofriendly alternative and possess a great variety of physicochemical properties. Considering how cost-intensive and environmental-stressing pre-treatments can be, these key properties are crucial and open the possibility to implement ILs in biorefineries. This study aims to compare the efficiency of two biomass pre-treatment technologies to residues of the perennial crops like Giant Reed (Arundo donax), Miscanthus x giganteus, and Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus).