Study of cellulose hidrolisis from sugarcane bagasse using advanced oxidation process by ionizing radiation to obtain ethanol

• Grant number: 07/05679-0
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: April 01, 2008
• End date: March 31, 2010
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agricultural Engineering - Process Engineering of Agricultural Products
• Principal Investigator: Celina Lopes Duarte
• Grantee: Celina Lopes Duarte
• Host Institution: Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares (IPEN). Secretaria de Desenvolvimento Econômico (São Paulo - Estado). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The processing of natural polymers by ionizing radiation has showed simple, efficient and attractive commercially in health, agriculture and environmental areas. Cellulose is the most abundant biopolymer in nature and is therefore attractive as a sustainable source of materials to obtain energy. The sugar in cellulose biomass is locked up in cellulose and, the main obstacle to produce ethanol bio-fuel from cellulose is how to accelerate the hydrolysis reaction, that breaks cellulose down into starches and sugars suitable for fermentation. The major cellulose hydrolysis processes, as chemical or enzymatic reactions, are so harsh that toxic degradation products are produced that can interfere with fermentation. The reactive species generated by the interaction of ionizing radiation with water (OH radicals, e-aq, and H) have been successfully applied as advanced oxidation process to organic pollutant degradation in environmental samples and industrial effluents. The research group of the Radiation Technology Center at IPEN, has worked with the use of ionizing radiation to destroy organic pollutants in different matrix. Concluded studies showed the high efficiency of ionising radiation on destroying the organic compounds mainly chloroform, dichloroethane, benzene, toluene, xylenes, phenol, pesticides, and in the decoloring of dyes, delivered in industrial effluents, solid residues and environmental samples. The main objective of this project is to study the cleavage of cellulose from sugarcane bagasse using ionizing radiation from gamma source and from electron beam industrial accelerator, in order to facilitates its fermentation and improves the production of ethanol. The main benefit of production of ethanol by sugarcane bagasse is the environmental protection and recovery that reduces greenhouse gas emissions compared to oil derivatives and the increase of ethanol production per planted hectare. This project will be realized togheter the Sugarcane Technology Center (Centro de Tecnologia Canavieira), CTC, located at Piracicaba, SP. CTC has more than 30 years of experience in development of innovating technologies for the sugarcane sector. (AU)