Population balance modelling of homogeneous and heterogeneous cellulose hydrolysis

Abstract Chemical or enzymatic cellulose hydrolysis makes earth's most abundant natural resource, lignocellulose, available for further processing to chemicals, materials, or fuels. In this contribution, population balance models are evaluated with respect to their ability to describe the kinetics of depolymerisation in a mechanistically sound way for both chemical and enzymatic cellulose hydrolysis. This integrative approach should support the rational development and optimisation of these processes in future.