Difference between revisions of "Ammonia fibre expansion"

Ammonia fiber expansion (AFEX) is a thermochemical pretreatment that uses volatile ammonia as the main reactant for cellulosic biomass pretreatment. AFEX pretreatment increases the accessibility of polysaccharides to enzymes for hydrolysis into fermentable sugars. These released sugars can be converted into fuels and chemicals in a biorefinery. AFEX offers several advantages over other pretreatments, which include near complete recovery of the pretreatment chemical (ammonia), nutrient addition for microbial growth through the remaining ammonia on pretreated biomass, and not requiring a washing step during the process which facilitates high solid loading hydrolysis.

Ammonia fiber expansion (AFEX) is a thermochemical pretreatment that uses volatile ammonia as the main reactant for cellulosic biomass pretreatment. AFEX pretreatment increases the accessibility of polysaccharides to enzymes for hydrolysis into fermentable sugars. These released sugars can be converted into fuels and chemicals in a biorefinery. AFEX offers several advantages over other pretreatments, which include near complete recovery of the pretreatment chemical (ammonia), nutrient addition for microbial growth through the remaining ammonia on pretreated biomass, and not requiring a washing step during the process which facilitates high solid loading hydrolysis.