International Journal of Emerging Trends in Engineering and Development Issue 7, Vol.

1 (January 2017)
Available online on http://www.rspublication.com/ijeted/ijeted_index.htm ISSN 2249-6149

KINETIC STUDIES ON PREPARATION OF XYLOSE

N.Anil1, K.Meenakshi 2 Ch.Meghana3, B.Sai Hitesh3,Lakshitha3Mr. Pradeep Kumar*.
#1 Associate Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, Anurag Group of Institutions,
Hyderabad, India 500088.
#2 Assistant Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, Anurag Group of Institutions,
Hyderabad, India 500088.
#3 Final Year Chemical Engineering Students, Anurag Group of Institutions, Hyderabad,
India 500088.
*
Principal scientist CSIR- IICT Tarnaka, Hyderabad-50007, India.

ABSTRACT
Xylose is a versatile product having applications in various fields. It is a pentose sugar, which is
found in hemi-cellulose of natural substance of fibrous vegetables and fruit, as well as in corn
cobs, bagasse and various hard wood trees. Corn cobs are the cheaply available raw material
containing 20% of xylan. The conversion and activation energies of xylose at different
temperatures are discussed in this article in which we got optimum conversion of 90% at 120oC.
2kg of corn cobs which are synthesized by acid hydrolysis was converted to xylose. During acid
hydrolysis 120g of concentrated sulphuric acid was diluted in 8L of water, the pressure was
maintained at 1- 1.2 kg/cm2 throughout the reaction period of 3hr.The reaction material after acid
hydrolysis was passed through the centrifuge and Ion-Exchanger resin for the removal of
suspended solids and acid, colour, salts from the reaction material respectively. The efficiency of
product has been improved by using rotary evaporator, thereby improving quality of product by
producing 200g of pure xylose.
Key words: Acid hydrolysis, activation energy, conversion, Corn cobs and Ion-Exchange

Corresponding Author: K.Meenakshi

INTRODUCTION
Xylose, (xylon, "wood") first discovered and isolated from wood by Koch in 1881, has been one
of the rarer sugars [1]. In 1999, china produced xylose from Candida parapsilosis was grown for
59 hr in a medium containing corn cob hydrolysate consisting of 50 g xylose and started
producing xylitol [2, 3]..Two stage batch fermentations indicated that high xylitol production
could be obtained from Candida tropicalis at an initial xylose concentration of 80 g L1 in corn
cob hydrolysate medium at an aeration rate of 0.4 vvm (Vessel Volume/Minute) at the micro-
aeration stage [4]. Xylose is a pentose sugar, the molecular formulae C5H10O5, which is found in
hemi-cellulose of natural substance of fibrous vegetables and fruit, as well as in corn Cobs,
bagasse and various hard wood trees like birch [5, 6]. Xylose is a hemi cellulosic sugar mainly
used for its bioconversion to xylitol [7]. Xylose is used as a source to prepare food for diabetic
patients. It is used as an environmental friendly non-toxic water solution cleaning component.

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International Journal of Emerging Trends in Engineering and Development Issue 7, Vol. 1 (January 2017)
Available online on http://www.rspublication.com/ijeted/ijeted_index.htm ISSN 2249-6149

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Raw materials used in preparation of xylose are corncobs, sulphuric acid, resin (Indion-890) and
methanol.

EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE
2kg of the corn cobs (dry) was fed into the reactor and to it 8 L of water was added. By
maintaining pressure at 1 - 1.2kg/cm2 and the temperature at 120oC for 30 min. washing followed
by acid hydrolysis where 120g of concentrated sulphuric acid was diluted in 8L of water with
respective to corn cobs basis, temperature is maintained at 120oC at a pressure of 1- 1.2 kg/cm2
throughout the reaction period of 3hr. After completion of the reaction period, the reaction
material was discharged and is collected in a container. To the above reacted corn cobs, 8 L of
the water was charged into the reactor for crude xylose extraction, it was collected and recycled
for about 30min. The reaction material (Acid Hydrolysis + 1st, 2nd extraction) was passed
through the centrifuge which makes the material to be clear. After completion of the centrifuge,
it is then passed through the Ion-Exchanger resin for the removal of acid, colour, other sugar and
salts from the reaction material and makes the material to be neutral and Colour less.

The material which is obtained from the resin column is taken as a feed to the Rotary
evaporator. Here complete distillation or evaporation of water from the feed takes place and to it
a methanol wash is given so that to remove the left-out moisture from the product. Thus after
completion of the Rotary Evaporation, Crude product is obtained where a measured quantity of
methanol is added which is about one third of the crude product obtained and mixed it
thoroughly, a pinch of fine powdered pure Xylose is seeded and kept aside for crystallization
process. After completion of the crystallization, it is filtered and a measured quantity of
methanol, in the presence of vacuum pump for filtration purpose. Mother liquor is collected at
the bottom and filtered xylose at the top. After completion of filtration, the finished product is
kept under vacuum, to make the product complete dry. Thus pure xylose is obtained.

KINETIC STUDY

Conversion of xylose

Amount of corn cobs in feed stream (F0) = 2000 g at time=0 sec

Amount of corn cobs in feed stream (F1) = 200 g at time =3hr

Hydrolysis of Xylan to xylose

C5 H8O4 H 2O
1200 C
C5 H10O5 ------------------ (1)

Xylan Water H2SO4 Xylose

ORDER:
Rate equation of reaction (1) is
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International Journal of Emerging Trends in Engineering and Development Issue 7, Vol. 1 (January 2017)
Available online on http://www.rspublication.com/ijeted/ijeted_index.htm ISSN 2249-6149

rA C ACB

Initial concentration of xylan C A0 = 9.9 mole L

Initial concentration of water C B0 = 55 mole L

K=4.3710-6 L mole.sec ,

CA CA0 (1 X A ) , rA C A0 CB0 (1 X A )2
---------------------------- (2)

-rA=2.3710-5 mole L sec

TABLE-1:

Conversion (%) Rate ln( rA1 ) mole L sec Concentration(lnCA) mole L

90 -10.64 -0.01

82 -9.78 0.577

76 -9.40 0.865

GRAPH-1: Order of the reaction ln-rAVs lnCA

Slope is 1.6 and therefore order of the reaction. n=2

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International Journal of Emerging Trends in Engineering and Development Issue 7, Vol. 1 (January 2017)
Available online on http://www.rspublication.com/ijeted/ijeted_index.htm ISSN 2249-6149

RESIDENCE TIME:
The reaction is carried out in a batch reactor. Here we are calculating the time spent by xylan in
the reactor:
XA
t dX A
C A0
0
rA

t: residence time of xylan in the reactor

0.90
t dX A
C A0

0
rA
(Sub equation (2) & solve)

We get t 1.917hr

ACTIVATION ENERGY:
Arrhenius' equation gives the dependence of the rate constant K of a chemical reaction on
the absolute temperature T (in Kelvins), where k0 is the pre-exponential factor , E is
the activation energy and R is the universal gas constant=8.314 J/(mole k) [8,9].

k=k0 e( E RT ) -------------------- (3)

GRAPH-2: Arrhenius plot lnk Vs 1/T

From equation (3) Slope , E=35371 J/mole

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International Journal of Emerging Trends in Engineering and Development Issue 7, Vol. 1 (January 2017)
Available online on http://www.rspublication.com/ijeted/ijeted_index.htm ISSN 2249-6149

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

The order of the hydrolysis reaction is two by graph-1. The residence time distribution of xylan
in xylose is 1.9hrs. The conversion of xylose at various temperatures are determined that shown
in table-1. Activation energy from graph obtained is 35371 J/mole.

TABLE-1: Conversion of Xylose at various Temperatures

Temperature(C) 100 105 109 115 120

Conversion (%) 76 79 82 86 90

CONCLUSION
The activation energy obtained is 35371 J/mole which indicate that the reaction is chemical
reaction controlled reaction and mass transfer is very fast. Due to high activation energy
maximum conversion is obtained at the highest temperature that is 120oC.

ACKNOWLEDMENT

The authors at Anurag Group of Institutions thank Mr.Pradeep Kumar, Principal Scientist and
Director IICT for their permission to carry out the work at IICT, Tarnaka, and Hyderabad.

REFERENCES:
1. Koch, E., Pharm. Z. Russland, 26, 657 (1886); Ber. Chem. Ges, Ref., 20, 145 (1887).2004;
98(3):228-30.
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using Candida magnolia, 2004, 98(3):228-30.
3. Sang-Yong Kim, Deok-Kun Oh, Jung-Hoe Kim, Evaluation of xylitol production from
corn cob hemicellulose hydrolysate by Candidaparapsilosis, October 1999, Volume
21, Issue 10, pp 891-895
4. Sama Jagadish kumar, Goli Jyosthna khanna, Koppaka Nithya, Linga Venkateswar Rao:
Production of Xylitol from Alkali Pre-treated corn cobs hydrolysate, DBPBMB 6(SI1)13-
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