Integrated Forest Biorefinery: Value-added Utilization of Dissolved Organics in the Prehydrolysis Liquor of Prehydrolysis Kraft (PHK) Dissolving Pulp Production Process

The concept of integrated forest biorefineries (IFBRs) has gained significant interest.The prehydrolysis kraft (PHK) dissolving pulp production process is a suitable example of IFBR concept for the production of dissolving pulp and utilization of dissolved hemicelluloses, acetic acid, and lignin in the prehydrolysis liquor (PHL).This review paper highlights recent progress related to the recovery and utilization of dissolved organics (e.g., hemicelluloses, acetic acid, and lignin) in the PHL of the PHK dissolving pulp production process.Integrated multi-step recovery and separation processes have been developed for this purpose to accommodate the complex nature of the PHL.Potential products, including xylan-based compounds, acetic acid, and lignin, are also discussed in detail.