Formation of immobilized enzyme beads by radiation and chemical reaction

Cellulase crosslinked by glutaraldehyde was fixed on alumina beads by radia tion polymerization of hydrophilic monomers at low temperatures to get immo bilized enzyme beads. The immobilized enzyme beads were tested by the enzym atic hydrolysis of the two kinds of cellulosic materials, cellobiose and ch aff (insoluble material). The preparation conditions of the immobilized enz yme beads, applied to the pretreatment of cellulosic feed such as chaff are investigated. The enzyme was fixed on the surface of the polymer matrices with porous structure by radiation polymerization using hydrophilic monomer s such as hydroxyethyl methacrylate, hydroxypropyl methacrylate etc. Chaff pretreated by electron beam irradiation and subsequent mechanical crushing was hydrolyzed by the immobilized enzyme beads. The hydrolysis conversion y ield of cellulose component of chaff was about 50 %. The hydrolysis yield v aried with the irradiation dose of the pretreatment, the properties of poly mer matrix, and the crosslinking parameters of the enzyme.