ABSTRACT
The chemicals of industrial importance derived from hemicelluloses are much fewer in number. In addition to being sources of unique sugars, hemicelluloses can give rise to homologous series of oligomers as a result of partial acid hydrolysis. The necessity of eliminating various emissions from pulping operations has resulted in the recovery of many potentially useful chemicals from hemicelluloses as well as from lignin. Fractionation gives good quality acetic acid derived chiefly from the hemicellulose esters of the incoming wood. The hemicellulose extracts from viscose steeping liquors have also been suggested as potential sources of furfural. Furfural is the most important chemical derived from xylan or any hemicellulose. Eickemeyer has described an apparatus for decomposing cellulosic materials which involves a preliminary hydrolysis of hemicellulose. The use of hemicellulose residues of the spent effluents from pulping operations is also a source of chemicals.
