Effect of radiation pretreatment on enzymatic hydrolysis of rice straw with low concentrations of alkali solution

Abstract Radiation pretreatment of rice straw in the presence of alkali (sodium hydroxide) solutions was studied using an electron beam accelerator. As irradiation dose was increased, the effect of a combination of sodium hydroxide and irradiation also increased. The glucose yield was increased by lengthening the treatment time with sodium hydroxide solution. The combination of irradiation and pulverization was effective for reducing the size of rice straw. The radiation pretreatment of the rice straw was also enhanced by heating after irradiation.