Conversion of cellulosic agricultural wastes

Abstract

A method for conversion of comminuted cellulosic agricultural wastes into a form edible by ruminant animals comprises treating such wastes, e.g., straw, corn stalks and husks, cotton wastes, peanut shells, saw dust, etc. by spraying with an aqueous solution of a mixed oxidant gas, at a pH of about 11-12, to produce a total water content of less than 20%, a pH of about 11.4-11.7, and NaOH content of less than 5.0% in the waste. The mixed-oxidant gas is preferably produced by a gas generator comprising an electrolytic cell having an anode compartment, a bipolar electrode in the anode compartment, a cathode compartment and a membrane separating the compartments to permit only a limited flow of electrolyte therebetween. When a low salt concentration solution is electrolyzed in this cell, the output is a mixed oxidant gas containing chlorine and various oxygen-containing species. The gas generator which is preferred is that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,248,681. The oxidant gas produced from dilute salt solutions contains chlorine, chlorine dioxide and other oxygen-containing gases. In alkaline solution, the mixed oxidant gases form a mixture of salts of the formula NaClO.sub.x, where x is 1-7. After a reaction time from several hours up to several days, the product obtained can be washed with water to substantially remove chemically combined lignins, while a fraction of the hollo-cellulose has been substantially hydrolyzed to sugars, and is a satisfactory feed for ruminant animals, being non-toxic and digestible.