No abstract

During the chemical pulping of lignocellulosics, the removal of lignin is the predominant reaction. However, the depolymerization and subsequent solubilization of cellulose and hemicelluloses may also occur to a lesser extent. In this study, Ontario-grown aspen, spruce and hemp fibre was chemically pulped using soda and Kraft pulping processes. Each of the pulps was then hydrolyzed to quantify the most common neutral sugars (i.e., rhamnose, arabinose, galactose, glucose, xylose, and mannose). The sugars were quantified using high pH anion exchange chromatography (HPAEC) with pulsed amperometric detection (PAD). The monosaccharide determinations from the three pulped fibres are presented.