Continuous Acid Hydrolysis of Cassava Starch Through In-Line Static Mixer Reactor

Abstract

Continuous starch hydrolysis by a strong acid through a state-of-the-art In-line Static Mixer Reactor (ISMR), has been done efficiently. Starch at a concentration of 30% (w/v) was hydrolysed by acid at the final concentrations of 1 and 2.5% (w/v) at 95 oC through a 25.3-m ISMR at flow rates of 15 and 35 mL/min with residence reaction times of 123.64 and 54.95 min, respectively. At the flow rate of 15 mL/min, 1% acid hydrolysis gave a reducing sugar concentration of 187.41 mg/mL with a Dextrose Equivalent (DE) value of 76.64 and the 2.5% acid hydrolysis gave the highest reducing sugar concentration of 311.21 mg/mL with an DE value of 99.94 Lysis with acid at final concentration 1 and 2.5% (w/v) at a flow rate of 35 mL/min gave rate reducing sugar concentration because of shorter residence reaction time when compared to that of 15 mL/min. Viscosities of the sugar solutions during acids hydrolysis were reducing as the tube lengths and lysis times increased with a value of ~1.5 and 2 Prs at the end of lysis. Results from this method are comparable with those of starch hydrolyses by enzymes through the ISMR. The acid hydrolysis method using the ISMR here can be scaleable for the commercial production of glucose from cassava starch.