Steam explosion is a thermomechanicochemical pretreatment which allows the breakdown of lignocellulosic structural components by the action of heating, organic acids formed during the process and shearing forces resulting to the expansion of the moisture.Two distinct stages compose the steam explosion process: vapocracking and explosive decompression which include modification of the material components: hydrolysis of hemicellulosic components (mono and oligosaccharides released), modification of the chemical structure of lignin, modification of the cellulose cristallinity index… These effects allow the opening of lignocellulosic structures and influence the enzymatic hydrolysis yield of the material.

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