*2.2. Analysis of Raw Material*

Samples taken from the homogenized lot were milled to a size smaller than 0.5 mm and analyzed (composition shown in Table 1) using the following methods: extractives (National Renewable Energy Laboratory/Technical Procedure NREL/TP-510-42619, 2008), moisture (NREL/TP-510-42621, 2008), ashes (NREL/TP-510-42622, 2008), and quantitative acid hydrolysis (NREL/ TP-510-42618, 2008).


**Table 1.** Chemical composition of *Paulownia elongata x fortunei* wood.

The liquid phase from quantitative acid hydrolysis was analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to quantify the monosaccharides, acetic acid and formic acid (detector, refractive index at 30 ◦C; column, Aminex HPX-87H; mobile phase, 0.01 M H2SO4; flow rate, 0.6 mL/min; column temperature 50 ◦C). In this column, xylose, galactose and mannose were co-eluted and therefore, these monosaccharides were quantified together using the notation (Xyl + Gal + Man). The concentrations of glucose, Xyl + Gal + Man, arabinose and acetic acid, before and after quantitative acid hydrolysis (121 ◦C, 60 min, 4% H2SO4), were used to calculate the equivalent content of glucan, Xylan + Galactan + Mannan, arabinan and acetyl groups, respectively. The insoluble phase from the quantitative acid hydrolysis was gravimetrically quantified and reported as Klason lignin. Uronic acids were determined using a colorimetric method [17]. Analyses were carried out in quadruplicate.
