Lignocelluloses are often major components of various industrial, forestry, agricultural and
municipal wastes. Hydrolysis of lignocellulose is the first and required step for its digestion to biogas
(methane). In the present study, efforts were made for the chemical hydrolysis of lignocelluloses in acidic,
alkaline and neutral medium and the pretreated rice husk was digested in anaerobic medium for the
production of biogas. Without pretreatment, rice husk produced 64% methane on anaerobic digestion
which could be increased to an appreciable extent after delignification. All the methods adopted for
delignification proved to be good however30% sulfuric acid was found to be most effective for
delignification process leading to the production of 76% methane.
Keywords: Lignocelluloses, Pretreatment, Delignification, Enzymatic hydrolysis