Improvement of the fermentability of oxalic acid hydrolysates by detoxification using electrodialysis and adsorption

•The removal efficiency of acetic acid reached 100% by electrodialysis.•Most of non-ionizable inhibitors were removed by XAD-4 resin adsorption process.•The ethanol productivity was high at 0.27–0.35g/Lh in detoxified hydrolysates.•A continuous detoxification process was efficient in ethanol production. A two-step detoxification process consisting of electrodialysis and adsorption was performed to improve the fermentability of oxalic acid hydrolysates. The constituents of the hydrolysate differed significantly between mixed hardwood and softwood. Acetic acid and furfural concentrations were high in the mixed hardwood, whereas 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) concentration was relatively low compared with that of the mixed softwood. The removal efficiency of acetic acid reached 100% by electrodialysis (ED) process in both hydrolysates, while those of furfural and HMF showed very low, due to non-ionizable properties. Most of the remaining inhibitors were removed by XAD-4 resin. In the mixed hardwood hydrolysate without removal of the inhibitors, ethanol fermentation was not completed. Meanwhile, both ED-treated hydrolysates successfully produced ethanol with 0.08 and 0.15g/Lh ethanol productivity, respectively. The maximum ethanol productivity was attained after fermentation with 0.27 and 0.35g/Lh of detoxified hydrolysates, which were treated by ED, followed by XAD-4 resin.