Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
1378596 | Carbohydrate Polymers | 2009 | 6 Pages |
The range of xylan content reported for sugar maple (Acer saccharum) is wider than for most hardwoods. Credible values have been reported that range from less than 16 wt% to more than 19 wt% based on extractive-free wood. Carbohydrate composition of biomass is normally determined by a two stage H2SO4 hydrolysis followed by quantification of the sugar monomers. Acetic and uronic acids are also quantified for xylan-rich materials. In this research, the H2SO4 hydrolysis conditions were modified and an average xylan content of 18.7% was obtained for sugar maple with a standard deviation (SD) of 0.41% for eight analyses. Minor refinements were made and an average of 18.6% (SD = 0.29%) was obtained for another eight analyses. On this occasion the acetyl to xylose mole ratio was 0.71 with a standard deviation of only 0.008. Proton NMR was utilized in quantifying sugar monomers and acetic acid. The modified hydrolysis procedure gave all the expected results for Betula papyrifera, a species without much controversy regarding its carbohydrate composition. A high percentage of glucan plus xylan was also obtained for an experimentally grown poplar with a low lignin content of 17.7%. The summative analyses varied from 99.7% to 101.5% for the three species.