Dynamic simulation and Residence time Optimization of an Autohydrolysis Reactor for the Valorization of Lignocellulosic Waste

Lignocellulosic residues from agricultural and food-processing activities are increasingly recognized as \r\npromising feedstocks for the development of bio-based materials and sustainable energy carriers. In this \r\nframework, the Cyclevit project investigates a hybrid valorization approach combining autohydrolysis and \r\norganosolv treatments to extract cellulose and lignin, which are precursors for vitrimers—recyclable polymer \r\nnetworks. This study had two primary goals: to carry out a dynamic simulation in the Pomodoro toolkit of the \r\nautohydrolysis process using a previously established kinetic model, and to optimize the residence time in the \r\nreactor. The kinetic model accounts for heat and mass transfer and simulates the thermal degradation of \r\nhemicellulose and cellulose. Regarding optimization, the results showed sigmoidal degradation trends and \r\nstressed the need to fine-tune residence time to enhance hemicellulose solubilization while minimizing cellulose \r\nloss. These results lay the groundwork for a full dynamic optimization of the investigated reactor, including a \r\npossible extension to multi-objective optimization to explore the trade-offs with energy consumption with a \r\nsystematic approach.