Treatment of plant biomass

摘要

Lignocellulosic biomass is treated to increase accessibility of the material to enzymes and fermentative processes. Accessibility is increased by physical pre-treatment of the biomass using ultrasound and/or microwave and/or cool plasma. The physical treatments degrade the waxy cuticle of the biomass facilitating enzyme accessibility to cellulose and hemicellulose for conversion to utilisable matter, in nutritive and chemical or biofuel industries. These physical treatments improve enzyme accessibility to cellulose and hemicellulose, for enhancing conversion into a range of feed stocks amenable to further processing.