Abstract
Economic processing of lignocellulosic biomass requires handling the biomass at high solids concentration. This creates challenges because concentrated biomass behaves as a Bingham-like material with large yield stresses. Here we employ torque rheometry to measure the rheological properties of concentrated lignocellulosic biomass (corn stover). Yield stresses obtained using torque rheometry agree with those obtained using other rheometric methods, but torque rheometry can be used at much larger solids concentration (weight fractions of insoluble solids greater than 0.2). Yield stresses decrease with severity of hydrolysis, decrease when water-soluble polymers are added (for nonhydrolyzed biomass), and increase with particle length. Experimental results are qualitatively consistent with those obtained from particle-level simulations.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aden, A., M. Ruth, K. Ibsen, J. Jechura, K. Neeves, J. Sheehan, B. Wallace, L. Montague, A. Slayton, and J. Lukas, 2002, Lignocellulosic biomass to ethanol process design and economics utilizing co-current dilute acid prehydrolysis and enzymatic hydrolysis for corn stover, NREL Technical Report TR-510-32438.
Almin, K. E., P. Biel, and D. Wahren, 1967, Relating the shear modulus of fibre networks to the bulk average fiber stiffness, Svensk Papperstidn. 70, 772–774.
Bennington, C., R. Kerekes, and J. Grace, 1990, The yield stress of fibre suspensions, Can. J. Chem. Eng. 68, 748–757.
Bergman, J. and N. Takamura, 1965, The correlation between the shear modulus of fibre networks and the individual fibre stiffness, Svensk Papperstidn. 68, 703–710.
Blyler, L. L. and J. H. Daane, 1967, An analysis of Brabender torque rheometer data, Polym. Eng. Sci. 7, 178–181.
Bohlin VOR Rheometer Users Manual, Malvern Instruments, Westborough, MA. Bousmina, M., A. Ait-Kadi, and J. B. Faisant, 1999, Determination of shear rate and viscosity from batch mixer data, J. Rheol. 43, 415–433.
Bozell, J. J., L. Moens, D. C. Elliott, Y. Wang, G. G. Neuenscwander, S. W. Fitzpatrick, R. J. Bilski, and J. L. Jarnefeld, 2000, Production of levulinic acid and use as a platform chemical for derived products, Resources, Conservation and Recycling 28, 227–239.
Bozell, J. J. and G. R. Petersen, 2010, Technology development for the production of biobased products from biorefinery carbohydrates-the US Department of Energy’s “Top 10” revisited, Green Chemistry 12, 539–554.
Connelly, R. J. and J. L. Kokini, 2004, The effect of shear thinning and differential viscoelasticity on mixing in a model 2D mixer as determined using FEM with particle tracking, J. Non-Newt. Fluid Mech. 123, 1–17.
Dalpke, B. and R. Kerekes, 2005, The influence of fibre properties on the apparent yield stress of flocculated pulp suspensions, J. Pulp Paper Sci. 31, 39–43.
Dodson, C. T. J., 1996, Fiber crowding, fiber contacts, and fiber flocculation, TAPPI J. 79, 211–215.
Dzuy, N. Q. and D. V. Boger, 1983, Yield stress measurement for concentrated suspensions, J. Rheol. 27, 321–349.
Dzuy, N. Q. and D. V. Boger, 1985, Direct Yield Stress Measurement with the Vane Method, J. Rheol. 29, 335–347.
Ehrhardt, M. R., 2008, Rheology of Biomass, M.S. Thesis, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI.
Ehrhardt, M. R., T. O. Monz, T. W. Root, R. K. Connelly, C. T. Scott, and D. J. Klingenberg, 2010, Rheology of Dilute Acid Hydrolyzed Corn Stover at High Solids Concentration, Appl. Biochem. Biotechnol. 160, 1102–1115.
Goodrich, J. E. and R. S. Porter, 1967, A rheological interpretation of torque-rheometer data, Polym. Sci. Eng. 7, 45–51.
Jorgensen, H., J. Vibe-Pedersen, J. Larsen, and C. Felby, 2007, Liquefaction of lignocellulose at high-solids concentrations, Biotechnol. Bioeng. 96, 862–870.
Kerekes, R. J., 1985, The flocculation of pulp fibers, in Papermaking Raw Materials, V. Punton, ed., Mechanical Engineering Publications Ltd., London, pp. 265–310.
Kerekes, R. J. and C. J. Schell, 1992, Characterization of fibre flocculation regimes by a crowding factor, J. Pulp. Paper Sci. 18, J32–J38.
Kerekes, R. J., 1995, Perspectives on fibre flocculation in papermaking, in 1995 Proceedings of the International Paper Physics Conference, CPPA, Montreal, pp. 23–31.
Kerekes, R., 2006, Rheology of fibre suspensions in papermaking: An overview of recent research, Nordic Pulp Paper Res. J. 21, 598–612.
Knutsen, J. S. and M. W. Liberatore, 2009, Rheology of high-solids biomass slurries for biorefinery applications, J. Rheol. 53, 877–892.
Knutsen, J. S. and M. W. Liberatore, 2010, Rheology modication and enzyme kinetics of high solids cellulosic slurries, Energy Fuels 24, 3267–3274.
Kurath, S. F., 1959, The network and viscoelastic properties of wet pulp. I. Dynamic mechanical analysis, Tappi 42, 953–959.
Lee, P. F. W. and T. Lindstrom, 1989, Effects of high molecular mass anionic polymers on paper sheet formation, Nordic Pulp Pap. Res. J. 4, 61–70.
Lindstrom, T., 1989, Some fundamental aspects on paper forming, in Fundamentals of Papermaking, C. F. Baker and V. W. Punton, eds., Mechanical Engineering Publishers, Ltd., London, pp. 311–412.
Lu, Y., Y. Wang, G. Xu, J. Chu, Y. Zhuang, and S. Zhang, 2010, Influence of high solid concentration on enzymatic hydrolysis and fermentation of steam-exploded corn stover biomass, Appl. Biochem. Biotechnol. 160, 360–369.
Lynd, L. R., 1996, Overview and evaluation of fuel ethanol from cellulosic biomass: Technology, economics, the environment, and policy, Annu. Rev. Energy Environ. 21, 403–465.
Meyer, R. and D. Wahren, 1964, On the elastic properties of three-dimensional fiber networks, Svensk Papperstidn. 67, 432–436.
Monz, T. O., 2009, Investigation of biomass rheology in different geometries, Diplomarbeit Thesis, Stuttgart University and University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI.
Pimenova, N. and T. Hanley, 2003, Measurement of rheological properties of corn stover suspensions, Appl. Biochem. Biotechnol. 106, 383–392.
Pimenova, N. and T. Hanley, 2004, Effect of corn stover concentration on rheological characteristics, Appl. Biochem. Biotechnol. 114, 347–360.
Rosgaard, L., P. Andric, K. Dam-Johansen, S. Pedersen, and A. S. Meyer, 2007, Effects of substrate loading on enzymatic hydrolysis and viscosity of pretreated barley straw, Appl. Biochem. Biotechnol. 143, 27–40.
Samaniuk, J. R., C. T. Scott, T. W. Root, and D. J. Klingenberg, 2011, to be submitted.
Schell, D. J, J. Farmer, M. Newman, and J. D. McMillan, 2003, Dilute sulfuric acid pretreatment of corn stover in pilot-scale reactor.Investigation of yields, kinetics, and enzymatic digestibilities of solids, Appl. Biochem. Biotechnol. 105, 69–85.
Scott, C. T., 2002, Pulp extrusion and ultra-high consistencies: selection of water-soluble polymers for process optimization, Tappi Fall Conference & Trade Fair, http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/pdf2002/scott02a.pdf.
Serrano-Ruiz, J. C., D. Wang, and J. A. Dumesic, 2010a, Catalytic upgrading of levulinic acid to 5-nonanone, Green Chemistry 12, 574–577.
Serrano-Ruiz, J. C., D. J. Braden, R. M. West, and J. A. Dumesic, 2010b, Conversion of cellulose to hydrocarbon fuels by progressive removal of oxygen, Appl. Catalysis B: Environmental 100, 184–189.
Sheehan, J., A. Aden, K. Paustian, K. Killian, J. Brenner, M. Walsh, and R. Nelson, 2004, Energy and environmental aspects of using corn stover for fuel ethanol, J. Ind. Ecology 7, 117–146.
Singh, K. M., 1985, Flow Characteristics of High Consistency Pulp as Studied in a Concentric Cylinder Viscometer, M. S. Thesis, State University of New York, Syracuse, New York.
Soszynski, R. M. and R. J. Kerekes, 1988a, Elastic interlocking of nylon fibers suspended in liquid. Part 1.Nature of cohesion among fibers, Nordic J. Pulp Paper Res. 3, 172–179.
Soszynski, R. M. and R. J. Kerekes, 1988b, Elastic interlocking of nylon fibers suspended in liquid. Part 2.Process of interlocking, Nordic J. Pulp Paper Res. 3, 180–184.
Steffe, J. F., 1996, Rheological Methods in Food Processing Engineering, 2nd ed., Freeman, East Lansing.
Stickel, J. J., J. S. Knutsen, M. W. Liberatore, W. Luu, D. W. Bouseld, D. J. Klingenberg, C. T. Scott, T. W. Root, M. R. Ehrhardt, and T. O. Monz, 2009, Rheology measurements of a biomass slurry: an inter-laboratory study, Rheol. Acta 48, 1005–1015.
Swerin, A., R. L. Powell, and L. Odberg, 1992, Linear and nonlinear dynamic viscoelasticity of pulp fiber suspensions, Nordic Pulp Paper Res. J. 7, 126–132.
Switzer, L. H., 2002, Simulations of Systems of Flexible Fibers, Ph. D. thesis, University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Switzer, L. H. and D. J. Klingenberg, 2003, Rheology of sheared flexible fiber suspensions via fiber-level simulations, J. Rheol. 47, 759–778.
Thalen, N. and D. Wahren, 1964a, A new elasto-viscometer, Svensk Papperstidn. 67, 226–231.
Thalen, N. and D. Wahren, 1964b, Shear modulus and ultimate shear strength of some paper pulp fiber networks, Svensk Papperstidn. 67, 259–264.
Thalen, N. and D. Wahren, 1964c, An experimental investigation of the shear modulus of model fibre networks, Svensk Papperstidn. 67, 474–480.
Um, B. and T. R. Hanley, 2008, A comparison of simple rheological parameters and simulation data for zymomonasmobilis fermentation broths with high substrate loading in a 3-L bioreactor, Appl. Biochem. Biotechnol. 145, 29–38.
Viamajala, S., J. D. McMillan, D. J. Schell, and R. T. Elander, 2009, Rheology of corn stover slurries at high solids concentrations. Effects of saccharication and particle size, Bioresource Technology 100, 925–934.
Wang, J., 2012, Ph. D. Thesis, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI.
Wingren, A., M. Galbe, and G. Zacchi, 2003, Techno-economic evaluation of producing ethanol from softwood: Comparison of SSF and SHF and identication of bottlenecks, Biotechnol. Prog. 19, 1109–1117.
Wooley, R., M. Ruth, J. Sheehan, K. Ibsen, H. Majdeski, and A. Galvez, 1999, Lignocellulosic biomass to ethanol process design and economics utilizing co-current dilute acid prehydrolysis and enzymatic hydrolysis current and futuristic scenarios, NREL Technical Report TP-58026157.
Wyman, C. E., 2007, What is (and is not) vital to advancing cellulosic ethanol, Trends in Biotechnology 25, 153–157.
Zauscher, S., 1999, Polymer Mediated Surface Interactions in Pulp Fiber Suspension Rheology, Ph. D. Thesis, University of Wisconsin.
Zauscher, S., C. T. Scott, J. L. Willet, and D. J. Klingenberg, 2000, Pulp Extrusion at ultra-high consistencies: a new processing method for recycling wastepapers and papermill sludges, TAPPI J. 83, 62.
Zauscher, S. and D. J. Klingenberg, 2000, Normal forces between cellulose surfaces measured with colloidal probe microscopy, J. Coll. Int. Sci. 229, 497–510.
Zauscher, S. and D. J. Klingenberg, 2001a, Friction forces between cellulose surfaces measured with colloidal probe microscopy, Coll. Surf. A 178, 213–229.
Zauscher, S. and D. J. Klingenberg, 2001b, Surface and friction forces between cellulose surfaces measured with colloidal probe microscopy, Nordic Pulp Pap. Res. J. 15, 459–468.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Samaniuk, J.R., Wang, J., Root, T.W. et al. Rheology of concentrated biomass. Korea-Aust. Rheol. J. 23, 237–245 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13367-011-0029-z
Received:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13367-011-0029-z