METHOD FOR SACCHARIFICATION AND SEPARATION OF PLANT FIBER MATERIALS

摘要

It is intended to provide a high-purity aqueous sugar solution by increasing a recovery rate of a cluster acid serving as a hydrolysis catalyst for cellulose in saccharification and separation of cellulose using a cluster acid catalyst. A method for saccharification and separation of a plant fiber material characterized by comprising: a hydrolysis step of hydrolyzing cellulose contained in a plant fiber material using a pseudo-molten cluster acid catalyst to produce sugar most of which is glucose; a first separation step of separating a mixture containing an aqueous sugar solution in which at least a portion of sugar produced in the hydrolysis step is dissolved, a cluster acid organic solvent solution in which the cluster acid catalyst is dissolved, and residues into a solid portion containing the residues and a liquid portion containing the aqueous sugar solution and the cluster acid organic solvent solution; and a second separation step of dehydrating the liquid containing the aqueous sugar solution and the cluster acid organic solvent solution separated in the first separation step by a dehydration means capable of adsorbing water through chemical adsorption to deposit sugar in the aqueous sugar solution and separating a solid portion containing the sugar and a liquid portion containing the cluster acid catalyst and the organic solvent.