Twin-screw extrusion for hemicellulose recovery: Influence on extract purity and purification performance

A twin-screw extruder was used for the extraction of wheat bran hemicelluloses by the co-extrusion of wheat straw and bran. As compared with a stirred reactor extraction, a twin-screw extruder resulted in a lower extraction rate (only about 24% of hemicelluloses in the wheat bran), but it has the advantages of a shorter residence time for the vegetable matter and a lower chemical and water consumption.Hemicellulose powder production is usually effected via an expensive alcoholic precipitation step after concentration. Ultrafiltration was investigated as a means to reduce the alcohol consumption. Trials were made with hollow fiber polyethersulfone membranes with a molecular weight cut-off of 30 kDa. Ultrafiltration mainly concentrated the extract and removed small molecules such as monosaccharides and minerals. The combination of the anion-exchange chromatography and ultrafiltration allowed for the removal of colored compounds.