Expedited extraction of xylan from corncob by power ultrasound

Some lignocellulosic biomass like corncob contains a large amount of xylan, a valuable material for applications in food, chemical and pharmaceutical industries. Conventional extraction of xylan is a time consuming process, requiring 12 to 24 hours to complete. In this study, the efficacy of power ultrasound for reducing the extraction time and increasing the xylan yield was investigated. Two acoustic energy densities (0.18 W/mL and 0.45 W/mL) of the power ultrasound were applied to corncob for 10, 20, 30, and 60 min. The treated samples were steamed at 110, 118 and 121°C for 30 min. At 0.45 W/mL acoustic energy density and 121°C steaming temperature, ultrasonic treatment was able to extract 39% of xylan in 43 min. In contrast, the conventional treatment was able to extract only 34% of xylan in 24 h. Power ultrasound assisted extraction reduced the processing time by 97% in addition to yield increase by 14.7%. Power ultrasound can be a potential technology for enhanced xylan extraction from corncob to result in significant processing time savings.