Rheological Properties and Particle Size Distribution of Northeast Mixed Hardwood for Enzymatic Saccharification Processing with High Substrates Loading

In this paper experimental results are presented for the rheological behavior of high-solids saccharification of mixed northeast hardwood as a model feedstock. The experimental determination of the viscosity, shear stress, and shear rate relationships of the 10 to 20 percent slurry concentrations with constant enzyme concentrations were performed under variable rotational speed of a viscometer (2.0 to 200 RPM) at combined temperatures (50 to $30^{\circ}C$) for the initial four hours. The viscosities of saccharification slurries observed were in the ranges of 0.024 to 0.028, 0.401 to 0.058, and 0.840 to 0.087 Pa s for shear rates up to 100 reciprocal seconds at 10, 15, and 20 percent initial solids (w/v) respectively. The fluid behavior of the suspensions was modeled using the power-law, the Herschel-Bulkley, the Casson, and the Bingham model. The results showed that broth slurries were pseudoplastic with a yield stress. The model slope increased and the model intercept decreased with increasing fermentation time at shear rates normal for the fermentor. The broth slurries exhibited Newtonian behavior at high and low shear rates during initial saccharification process. The solid particle size ranged from 57.8 to $70.0{\mu}m$ for $40^{\circ}C$ and from 44.0 to 57.5 11m for combined temperatures at 10, 15, and 20 percent initial solids (w/v) respectively.