Evaluation of Crystalline Cellulose of Corn Straw through Different Pretreatments Via X-Ray Diffraction, Scanning Electron Microscopy and Infrared Spectroscopy

Waste recycling is beneficial not only for the environment but also for the economy and the society at large. Corn stalks, the most abundant crop waste, are processed with oven drying, steaming, complex enzymatic hydrolysis (cellulase, xylanase, β-glucanase and pectinase), and fermentation (by Candida utilis and Pachysolen tannophilus), were analyzed via X-ray diffraction, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Infrared Spectroscopy (IR). The results indicated that thermophilic digestion destroyed glycosidic bonds and fibrous crystal have a significant effect on the degradation of the corn stalks, while complex enzyme hydrolysis only slightly degraded fibrous crystal. Fermentation did not significantly reduce fibrous crystal. Therefore, our research suggested that thermophilic digestion is the appropriate way to increase the saccharification rate and feed yield of corn stalks.