Abstract
To characterize thermo-chemical feature of sugar conversion of woody biomass, poplar wood ($Populus\;alba{\times}glandulosa$) powder was treated with supercritical water system. Supercritical water treatment (SCWT) was performed for 60 seconds at different temperatures (subcritical zone 350; supercritical zone $300,\;400,\;425^{\circ}C$) under two pressures $230{\pm}10atm$ as well as $330{\pm}10atm$, respectively, using flow type system. After separation of solid residues from SCWT products, the monomeric sugars in aqueous part converted from poplar wood powder were quantitatively determined by high performance anionic exchange chromatography [HPAEC] equipped with PAD detector and Carbo Pac PA10 column. As the temperature treated increased, the degradation of poplar wood powder was enhanced and ca 83% of woody biomass was dissolved into the water at $425^{\circ}C$. However, the pressure didn't help the degradation of biomass components. At subcritical temperature range, xylose was first formed by degradation of xylan, which is main hemicellulose component in hardwood species, while cellulose degradation started at the transition zone between sub and supercritical conditions and was remarkably accelerated at the supercritical temperature. In the supercritical water system the maximum yield of monomeric sugars amounts to ca. 7.3% based on oven dried wood weight at $425^{\circ}C$.
