Enhanced enzymatic digestibility of poplar wood by quick hydrothermal treatment.

• QHT achieved 82% cellulose conversion from a low cellulase dosage of poplar. • QHT removed >85% hemicelluloses and ~30% lignin in poplar in 5–25 min. • QHT increased crystallinity and special surface area of poplar. To elevate the glucose yield from the enzymatic hydrolysis of poplar wood for bio-ethanol production, quick hydrothermal treatment (QHT) was conducted at 200 °C for a short period of time from 5 min to 25 min. It was found that the QHT could remove >85% of the hemicelluloses and ~30% of the lignin in the poplar wood, and achieve 82% cellulose conversion at a low cellulase dosage of 10 FPU/g substrate. The enhancement digestibility of poplar wood was ascribed to the higher accessibility of cellulose, as the specific surface area of the substrate increased from 3.0 m2/g to 7.1 m2/g from the of untreated wood to the QHT-treated wood. The results demonstrate the improvements in digestibility and hydrolysis rates after QHT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]