Fiber size analysis, water retention value, and Simons' stain measurements were assessed for their potential to predict the susceptibility of a given substrate to enzymatic hydrolysis. Slight modifications were made to the fiber size analysis and water retention protocols to adapt these measurements to evaluate substrates for cellulolytic hydrolysis rather than pulps for papermaking. Lodgepole pine was pretreated by the steam and ethanol-organosolv processes under varying conditions. The Simons' stain procedure proved to be an effective method for indicating the potential ease of enzymatic hydrolysis of substrates pretreated by either process or when the pretreatment conditions were altered.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.