Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering, Vol.72, No.1, 106-112, 1994
Acid-Hydrolysis of Cellulose .2. Stochastic Simulation Using a Monte-Carlo Technique
A Monte Carlo procedure was developed to simulate cellulose acid hydrolysis at high temperatures. Both the kinetic information related to the model compound cellobiose and the morphological aspect of cellulose including crystalline, semi-amorphous and amorphous zones were estimated from experimental data and introduced in a FORTRAN program. In our model of cellulose acid hydrolysis, the cleavage of a glycosidic bond and the degradation of glucose are considered as two irreversible reactions in series. For all the temperatures, the overall glucose disappearance rate constant used in our model, was higher than the experimental constant obtained from the degradation of pure glucose. The changes related to the effects of milling on the cellulose acid hydrolysis were successfully considered in the procedure. Finally, the observed good agreement between the simulated and the experimental data of glucose yield versus time proved that Monte Carlo simulation associated with a Markov chain is a flexible connection between cellobiose (model compound) and cellulose conversion reactions.
Keywords:COUPLED CHEMICAL-REACTIONS;LIGNIN