Carbohydrate Analysis of Pulps Using Enzymatic Hydrolysis and High Pressure Liquid Chromato- Graphy

Abstract

A revised method for analysis of carbohydrates in pulps is presented. The method utilizes commercially available enzyme preparations for enzymatic hydrolysis of the pulp, followed by acid hydrolysis for complete cleavage of oligomers that are still present. Quantification of monosaccharides in the hydrolysate was performed by HPLC using a Pb-sulphonate/polymer column and deionized water as the mobile phase. Integration of the chromatograms was performed using least squares fitting of partially resolved peaks by commercial software. The method requires moderate operator skills and low investment costs for specialized analytical equipment.