Effect of sodium hydroxide concentration on sago (metroxylon sagu) fiber during alkaline explosion pretreatment

In this study, alkaline explosion pretreatment was being used to treat sago fiber to make the cellulose become more accessible to hydrolysis. The sago fiber was treated with different concentrations of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) which was 1.0% and 5.0% concentration. The composition of the pretreated sago fiber was analysed using the detergent fiber system which were 50 ml of Neutral Detergent Fiber (NDF) solution, 100 ml of Acid Detergent Fiber (ADF) solution and 20 ml of 72% cold sulphuric acid for Klason Lignin. The structural changes of pretreated sago fiber were observed under scanning electron microscope (SEM). The glucose production was carried out via hydrolysis and was determined using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The most structural changes occurred in the 5.0% pretreated sago fiber. The most lignin removal occurred in 5.0% pretreated sago fiber which left 9.3% of the composition of the lignin on sago fiber after the pretreatment. 5.0% pretreated sago fiber also produce the highest glucose concentration which was 0.56 g/l at 96 hr. This study showed that 5.0% concentration of NaOH was the effective concentration to treat sago fiber compared to 1.0% concentration of NaOH