Quantitative analysis of biomass samples

1 . A method for quantifying a cellulosic component in a sample, the method comprising:

preparing a suspension by mixing an amount of the sample with aqueous sulfuric acid having a concentration of 15 wt-% to 60 wt-%;

incubating the suspension and hydrolyzing the cellulosic component at an incubation temperature of 50° C. to 98° C. at ambient pressure for an incubation period of 30 min to 360 min, wherein the sample is not subjected to hydrolysis at temperatures above 98° C.;

separating a supernatant from the suspension;

analyzing the supernatant for total content of xylose, mannose, galactose, and arabinose;

preparing and analyzing a blank sample alongside with the sample; and

calculating, based on the analysis, an amount of the cellulosic component, wherein the cellulosic component comprises hemicellulose, and

wherein calculating the amount of hemicellulose comprises:

% dw Total Hemicellulose=(((( X−Y+S−T )/100)*( A+R ))/ A )/(1.136*( D/ 100))*100, where:

R is a total weight of liquid added to the sample;

A is mass of the sample;

D is wt-% total solids content of the sample;

S is the arabinose content of the supernatant in wt-%;

T is an HPLC result representative of arabinose of the blank sample in wt-%;

X is a combined xylose, galactose, and mannose content of the supernatant in wt-%; and

Y is an HPLC result representative of combined xylose, galactose, and mannose of the blank sample in wt-%.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the sample is corn-based.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the sample comprises raw ground corn.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the sample comprises a starting material, an intermediate product, or a final product from a corn-to-ethanol production process.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the amount of sample is mixed with an amount of the aqueous sulfuric acid that is from 8 to 12 parts of aqueous sulfuric acid to every 1 part sample.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the sample is not subjected to hydrolysis at temperatures above 90° C.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the sample is only subjected to temperatures of 90° C. or lower during the method.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the acid concentration is from 15 wt-% to 45 wt-%.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the supernatant is substantially free of furfural and hydroxymethylfurfural.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the method does not include enzymatic hydrolysis.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the method causes hydrolysis of the sample, and wherein hydrolysis consists of the incubating of the suspension at the incubation temperature for the incubation period.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the incubation period is 60 min to 150 min.

13 . The method of claim 1 comprising determining an amount of ethanol produced from cellulosic content as % D3 RIN.

14 . A method for quantifying a cellulosic component in a sample, the method comprising:

hydrolyzing the sample, the hydrolyzing consisting of a single acid hydrolysis of the sample in aqueous sulfuric acid having a concentration of 15 wt-% to 60 wt-%, at an incubation temperature of 50° C. to 98° C., at ambient pressure, for an incubation period of 30 min to 360 min;

separating a supernatant from the hydrolyzed sample in aqueous sulfuric acid;

analyzing the supernatant for total content of xylose, mannose, galactose, and arabinose;

preparing and analyzing a blank sample alongside with the sample; and

calculating, based on the analysis, an amount of the cellulosic component, wherein the cellulosic component comprises hemicellulose, and

wherein calculating the amount of hemicellulose comprises:

% dw Total Hemicellulose=(((( X−Y+S−T )/100)*( A+R ))/ A )/(1.136*( D/ 100))*100, where:

R is a total weight of liquid added to the sample;

A is mass of the sample;

D is wt-% total solids content of the sample;

S is the arabinose content of the supernatant in wt-%;

T is an HPLC result representative of arabinose of the blank sample in wt-%;

X is a combined xylose, galactose, and mannose content of the supernatant in wt-%; and

Y is an HPLC result representative of combined xylose, galactose, and mannose of the blank sample in wt-%.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the sample is corn-based.

16 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the sample comprises a starting material, an intermediate product, or a final product from a corn-to-ethanol production process.

17 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the sample is not subjected to hydrolysis at temperatures above 90° C.

18 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the supernatant is substantially free of furfural and hydroxymethylfurfural.

19 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the method does not include enzymatic hydrolysis.