Influence of Pine and Alder Woodchips Storage Method on the Chemical Composition and Sugar Yield in Liquid Biofuel Production

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of storing methods of woodchips from two species, pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and alder (Alnus Mill.), on the basic chemical composition and sugar yield in liquid biofuel production. Two methods of storing woody biomass were used in the study—an open pile and a cover pile. The wood was felled at the end of November and was stored as industrial chips for eight months from December onward. After this time, material was collected for chemical composition analyses and enzymatic hydrolysis. The results of the chemical composition analysis of the wood for both studied species showed the influence of the type of storage on the composition of the individual structural components of the wood. Based on the results of the enzymatic hydrolysis of the woody biomass, it can be seen that, irrespective of the hydrolysed material (wood, cellulose, holocellulose), the material from the biomass stored in the open pile gave higher results. The hydrolysis efficiency also increased with time, independent of the type of material that was hydrolysed. The highest sugar yield from the enzymatic hydrolysis of wood was obtained for alder wood stored in an open pile. The highest sugar yield from the enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose was obtained for cellulose extracted from alder wood—as well—that had been stored in an open pile.