Solubilization and hydrolysis of carbohydrates
AssigneeImperial Chemical Industries PLC
InventorsSidney A. Barker, Peter J. Somers
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Abstract
A process for the modification, solubilization and/or hydrolysis of a glycosidically linked carbohydrate having reducing groups using a mixture comprising water, an inorganic acid and a halide of lithium, magnesium or calcium. The process is particularly useful for converting cellulose (derived for example from waste-paper, wood or sawdust) or starch to glucose. When cellulose is the starting material the preferred halide is a lithium halide. When starch is the starting material a magnesium halide is preferred.
Claims7
A process for modifying a glycosidically linked carbohydrate having reducing groups comprising:
- contacting said carbohydrate at a temperature within the range of -5.degree. C. to 125.degree. C. with a mixture comprising an aqueous inorganic acid at a concentration within the range of 1 to 10 molar and a halide of a metal selected from the group consisting of lithium, magnesium and calcium or a precursor of said halide which is a compound selected from the group consisting of a carbonate, a bicarbonate and a hydroxide, the metal halide being present at a concentration within the range from 1 molar to saturation concentration, the process being carried out for a period of time sufficient to cause modification of the carbohydrate without producing significant solubilization and hydrolysis, whereby the carbohydrate is modified so as to be more accessible and susceptible to reaction with enzymes, microbes and chemicals.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.