Some tantalizing words from How to Make your Own Alcohol Fuels, by Larry W. Carley (2nd Ed: Tab Books, 1981):
"Starches and cellulose can be broken down by acid hydrolysis or enzyme hydrolysis. With acid hydrolysis, the feedstock material is ground up and mixed with a dilute acid solution to form a slurry. The acid then attacks the chemical bonds that hold the starch or cellulose molecule together, breaking the molecules apart and thereby freeing the simple sugars into solution. The sugar can then be fermented and made into alcohol. In commercial applications, the raw feedstock is ground up and mixed with water in a ratio of about 10 parts liquid to 1 part solid. The slurry is then mixed with an 8 percent to 10 percent weak acid solution and cooked under pressure at about 360 degrees F to 440 degrees F. The result, in the case of scrap paper, is conversion of about 80 percent of the cellulose into fermentable sugar. This process has proven itself to be practical and economical in large-scale applications..." No references, of course. Anybody know what process he's referring to? Marc de Piolenc Iligan Philippines Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Please do NOT send "unsubscribe" messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
