Method for the production of glucose from lignocellulosic feedstocks

A method for processing a lignocellulosic feedstock to produce glucose, said method comprising the steps of:

• (i) pretreating the lignocellulosic feedstock with acid to produce a composition comprising pretreated feedstock;
• (ii) providing a calcium-containing stream that comprises calcium that is obtained from the lignocellulosic feedstock;
• (iii) producing a calcium carbonate-containing stream that is obtained by precipitation of said calcium from the calcium-containing stream;
• (iv) adjusting the pH of a stream comprising said pretreated feedstock with
• (a) the calcium carbonate-containing stream;
• (b) a calcium hydroxide-containing stream that is derived from said calcium carbonate-containing stream by subjecting said calcium carbonate-containing stream to calcination;
• or
• (c) a combination of the calcium carbonate-containing stream and the calcium hydroxide-containing stream,
• wherein said adjusting of the pH of said stream comprising the pretreated feedstock produces a neutralized, pretreated lignocellulosic feedstock having a pH between about 3 and about 9 and wherein the pH of the neutralized, pretreated lignocellulosic feedstock thus produced is greater than the pH of the composition comprising pretreated feedstock produced in step (i);
• and
• (v) carrying out enzymatic hydrolysis of said neutralized, pretreated lignocellulosic feedstock with cellulase enzymes to produce the glucose.