@article{jones_venditti_park_jameel_2017, title={Optimization of Pilot Scale Mechanical Disk Refining for Improvements in Enzymatic Digestibility of Pretreated Hardwood Lignocellulosics}, volume={12}, ISSN={1930-2126}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.15376/biores.12.3.4567-4593}, DOI={10.15376/biores.12.3.4567-4593}, abstractNote={Mechanical refining has potential application for overcoming lignocellulosic biomass recalcitrance to enzyme hydrolysis and improving biomass digestibility. This study highlighted the ability for a pilot scale disc refiner to improve the total carbohydrate conversion to sugars from 39% (unrefined hardwood sodium carbonate biomass) to 90% (0.13 mm gap, 20% consistency, ambient temperature) by optimizing the refining variables. The different biomass properties that changed with refining indicated the expected increase in sugar conversion. Controlling the refining parameters to narrower gaps and higher consistencies increased the resulting refined biomass hydrolysis. Positive correlations that increases in net specific energy (NSE) input and refining intensity (SEL) improved the enzymatic hydrolysis. In some severe cases, over-refining occurred when smaller gaps, higher consistencies, and more energy input reached a point of diminished return. The energy input in these scenarios, however, was much greater than realistically feasible for industrial application. Although well-established in the pulp and paper industry, gaps in understanding the fundamentals of refining remain. The observations and results herein provide the justification and opportunity for further mechanical refining optimization to maximize and adapt the mechanical refining technology for maximum efficiency within the process of biochemical conversion to sugar.}, number={3}, journal={BioResources}, publisher={BioResources}, author={Jones, Brandon W. and Venditti, Richard and Park, Sunkyu and Jameel, Hasan}, year={2017}, month={May}, pages={4567–4593} }
 @article{jones_venditti_park_jameel_2014, title={Comparison of lab, pilot, and industrial scale low consistency mechanical refining for improvements in enzymatic digestibility of pretreated hardwood}, volume={167}, ISSN={0960-8524}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2014.06.026}, DOI={10.1016/j.biortech.2014.06.026}, abstractNote={Mechanical refining has been shown to improve biomass enzymatic digestibility. In this study industrial high-yield sodium carbonate hardwood pulp was subjected to lab, pilot and industrial refining to determine if the mechanical refining improves the enzymatic hydrolysis sugar conversion efficiency differently at different refining scales. Lab, pilot and industrial refining increased the biomass digestibility for lignocellulosic biomass relative to the unrefined material. The sugar conversion was increased from 36% to 65% at 5 FPU/g of biomass with industrial refining at 67.0 kWh/t, which was more energy efficient than lab and pilot scale refining. There is a maximum in the sugar conversion with respect to the amount of refining energy. Water retention value is a good predictor of improvements in sugar conversion for a given fiber source and composition. Improvements in biomass digestibility with refining due to lab, pilot plant and industrial refining were similar with respect to water retention value.}, journal={Bioresource Technology}, publisher={Elsevier BV}, author={Jones, Brandon W. and Venditti, Richard and Park, Sunkyu and Jameel, Hasan}, year={2014}, month={Sep}, pages={514–520} }
 @article{jones_venditti_park_jameel_koo_2013, title={Enhancement in enzymatic hydrolysis by mechanical refining for pretreated hardwood lignocellulosics}, volume={147}, ISSN={0960-8524}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2013.08.030}, DOI={10.1016/j.biortech.2013.08.030}, abstractNote={This study investigated the effectiveness of mechanical refining to overcome the biomass recalcitrance barrier. Laboratory scale refining was conducted via PFI mill and valley beater refiners using green liquor and Kraft hardwood pulps. A strong positive correlation was determined between sugar recovery and water retention value. Refining produced significant improvements in enzymatic hydrolysis yield relative to unrefined substrates (e.g., sugar recovery increase from 67% to 90%, for 15% lignin Kraft pulp). A maximum absolute enzymatic hydrolysis improvement with refining was observed at enzymatic hydrolysis conditions that produced intermediate conversion levels. For a 91% target sugar conversion, PFI refining at 4000 revolutions allowed for a 32% reduction in enzyme charge for 15% lignin content hardwood Kraft pulp and 96 h hydrolysis time, compared to the unrefined material.}, journal={Bioresource Technology}, publisher={Elsevier BV}, author={Jones, Brandon W. and Venditti, Richard and Park, Sunkyu and Jameel, Hasan and Koo, Bonwook}, year={2013}, month={Nov}, pages={353–360} }