Burman, N.W.Sheridan, C.van Dyk, L.Harding, K.G.2023-04-022023-04-022018-12-01Burman, N.W. et al. 2018. Modelling of Low Temperature Dilute Sulfuric Acid Pretreatment of South African Grass. Bioresource Technology Reports 4 Dec, pp.21-28.2589-014Xhttps://hdl.handle.net/10539/34848Dilute acid hydrolysis is an effective method of pre-treatment of lignocellulosic biomass. Although there are many studies modelling this pre-treatment at high temperature (120–210 °C), no studies were found modelling this reaction at low temperature. In this study, a long grass species was pre-treated with dilute sulfuric acid (pH 1, 2 & 3) at low temperatures (35 °C, 65 °C, 90 °C). The hydrolysis of xylan was found to obey a bi-phasic model in which there are two fractions of xylan, with significantly different hydrolysis rates. The rates of hydrolysis of the fast reacting fraction was found to obey Arrhenius type temperature dependence (Ea = 155.06 kJ/mol, A0 = 1.65 × 1019/min), which agrees with findings of similar studies at higher temperatures. A negligible rate of hydrolysis was determined for the slow fraction which differs from previous studies. The proportion of the slow reacting fraction (50%) which is lower than previously determined (55%–100%).en© 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. Notice : this is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Bioresource Technology Reports. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. A definitive version was subsequently published in Bioresource Technology Reports, vol. 4, pp. 21-28, 2018. doi : 10.1016/j.biteb.2018.08.014.Other