Biomass hydrolysis fermentation ethanol

The compactness and complexity of (ligno)cellulose makes it much more difficult to attack by enzymes with respect to starch. Therefore, the cost of bioethanol production is higher [23], To be cost competitive with grain-derived ethanol, the enzymes used for biomass hydrolysis must become more efficient and far less expensive. In addition, the presence of non-glucose sugars in the feedstock complicates the fermentation process, because conversion of pentose sugars into ethanol is less efficient than conversion of the hexose sugars. 

As mentioned in the biological—biochemical section, another approach to improve alcoholic fermentation combines saccharification and fermentation, ie, simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF). Enzyme-catalyzed cellulose hydrolysis and fermentation to alcohol takes place in the same vessel in the presence of enzyme and yeast (50). Reduced fermenter pressures and enzyme and yeast recycling result in 70 to 80% ethanol yields. These process modifications, coupled with more energy-efficient distillation and heat exchanger improvements, are projected to make fermentation ethanol from low value biomass competitive with industrial ethanol (51). 

Irrespective of the type of biomass used for ethanol production, the biomass needs to be pretreated to make the carbohydrates available for fermentation. However, which enzymes can be used depends on the source of the biomass. In addition, the biomass needs pretreatment before the enzymes are used. The first step of the pretreatment can be of a physical nature. Once the biomass is physically pretreated, the cellulose structures are open for enzyme action. In biomass from forests, the substance is mainly in the form of cellulose. Targeted enzymes are selective for the reaction of cellulose to glucose, and therefore there are no degradation byproducts, as occurs in acid conversion technology. There are at least three ways this can be performed. Firstly, in separate hydrolysis and fermentation, the pretreated biomass is treated with cellulase, which hydrolyzes the cellulose to glucose at 50 °C and pH 4.8. Secondly, in simultaneous fermentation and saccharification (SSF) the hydrolysis and fermentation take place in the same bioreactor. Thirdly,... 

An approach to the production of ethylene from biomass that does not involve pyrolysis is ethanol dehydration. The catalytic conversion of syngas to ethanol from low-grade biomass (or fossil) feedstocks, and fermentation ethanol via advanced cellulose hydrolysis and fermentation methods, which make it possible to obtain high yields of ethanol from low-grade biomass feedstocks as well, are both expected to be commercialized in the United States (Chapter 11). Which technology becomes dominant in the market place has... 

Economically feasible processes for biomass conversion to ethanol requires the fermentation of the sugars generated in the pretreatment and hydrolysis steps. In agricultural residues and hardwoods, xylose constitutes about 45% of the total sugars, and therefore xylose conversion to ethanol is important for high yields. Dilute acid hydrolysis of cellulosic biomass generates inhibitory compounds such as furfural, hydroxymethyl furfural, and acetic acid [1], These inhibitors affect the ability of yeasts to ferment the hydrolyzates, and therefore a detoxification step is usually included in fermenting acid... 

Alcoholic Fermentation. Certain types of starchy biomass such as com and high sugar crops are readily converted to ethanol under anaerobic fermentation conditions ia the presence of specific yeasts Saccharomyces cerevisia and other organisms (Fig. 6). However, alcohoHc fermentation of other types of biomass, such as wood and municipal wastes that contain high concentrations of cellulose, can be performed ia high yield only after the ceUulosics are converted to sugar concentrates by acid- or enzyme-catalyzed hydrolysis ... 

Recent studies have proven ethanol to be an ideal liquid fuel for transportation and renewable lignocellulosic biomass to be an attractive feedstock for ethanol fuel production by fermentation (1,2). The major fermentable sugars from hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass, such as rice and wheat straw, sugarcane bagasse, corn stover, corn fiber, softwood, hardwood, and grasses, are D-glucose and D-xylose except that softwood... 

The ultimate goal of the AFEX treatment is to increase the yields of fermentation products such as ethanol by increasing the digestibility of the biomass. Therefore, selected runs that showed higher glucan and xylan conversion were chosen for further SSF analysis. The best treatment temperature is to be selected based on the fermentation results, not just on enzymatic hydrolysis the fermentation results are presented later in this article. 

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