This study was to explore the effects of surfactant on biochemical and hydrothermal conversion of hemicellulose
into biofuels and value-added co-products. It was found that extraction of loblolly pine with
0.4% H2SO4 (w/w) at 150 ◦C for 2 h can dissolve most of hemicellulose. The addition of surfactant (0.4%
w/w) showed significant improvement on hemicellulose extraction, hemicellulose yield increased from
8.14±0.16% to 10.15±0.02% (w/w) based on raw biomass. Pre-extracted hemicellulose was fermented
to ethanol by Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In the presence of 0.4% surfactant, the glucose consumption rate
in the hydrolysate fermentation increased from 0.28 g g−1 h−1 to 0.46 g g−1 h−1, and mannose consumption
rate increased from 0.30 g g−1 h−1 to 0.35 g g−1 h−1. The final ethanol concentration increased from
7.45±0.18 g/L to 10.68±0.26 g/L. It was also observed that the hemicellulose extract could be effectively
converted to levulinic acid at low pH (∼2) by a hydrothermal process. Under the condition of 200 ◦C
for 45 min, 38.61±1.06% of hexoses from the hydrolysate extracted by 0.4% of sulfuric acid converted
to HMF, and 64.48±1.20% of pentoses to furfural. The addition of surfactant (0.4% w/w) significantly
increased the selectivity of furan by 41% for HMF and 30% for furfural.