Production of ethanol and pullulan assisted by unconventional methods in sugarcane bagasse biorefineries: hydrodynamic cavitation reactors and use of visible light with different wavelengths

• Grant number: 16/23758-4
• Support Opportunities: Program for Research on Bioenergy (BIOEN) - Regular Program Grants
• Start date: June 01, 2017
• End date: May 31, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Chemical Engineering - Chemical Process Industries
• Principal Investigator: Júlio César dos Santos
• Grantee: Júlio César dos Santos
• Host Institution: Escola de Engenharia de Lorena (EEL). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Lorena , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Silvio Silvério da Silva ; Talita Martins Lacerda

Abstract

The feasibility of sugarcane bagasse biorefineries requires the study of innovative alternatives with potential to improve the performance of the main steps of the developing processes, particularly in the pretreatment and biological stages, such as fermentation. Actually, pretreatment corresponds to a persistent bottleneck in biorefineries, and the development of continuous hydrodynamic cavitation reactors for this application is a completely new approach. In this project, the use of hydrodynamic cavitation for the alkaline pretreatment of sugarcane bagasse in a continuous reactor is proposed. The batch reactor available at the biotechnology department labs will be used in assays for optimization of process conditions, including temperature and the use of different types and concentrations of alkalis, besides different orifice plate configurations. Next, the system will be adapted for use in continuous mode, including a solid/liquid separation system. Operating conditions in continuous mode will then be evaluated and optimized. On another working line, the effect of the use of visible LED lights of different wavelengths will be evaluated, aiming to increase the productivity of the process or to change the quality of the obtained product. As study models, ethanol and pullulan were selected as products, this latter an exopolysaccharide of interest to the food and pharmaceutical industries and whose production may contribute to the overall viability of a biorefinery. Thus, the pretreated material will be enzymatically hydrolyzed and fermentations assisted by LED lights of different colors will be carried out in Erlenmeyer flasks for evaluation of the effect of the light wavelength and luminance in the system. After the optimization of process variables, tests in bench photobioreactors will be performed aiming to the evaluation of the possibility of scale up of the system. Execution of the project is expected to favor the development of national technology applicable to different stages of a biorefinery, thus favoring the development of sustainable and environmentally friendly processes of economic and social interest. (AU)

Scientific publications

(7)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

FERNANDES ANTUNES, FELIPE ANTONIO; CHANDEL, ANUJ KUMAR; TERAN-HILARES, RULY; INGLE, AVINASH P.; RAI, MAHENDRA; DOS SANTOS MILESSI, THAIS SUZANE; DA SILVA, SILVIO SILVERIO; DOS SANTOS, JULIO CESAR. Overcoming challenges in lignocellulosic biomass pretreatment for second-generation (2G) sugar production: emerging role of nano, biotechnological and promising approaches. 3 BIOTECH, v. 9, n. 6, JUN 2019. (14/27055-2, 16/10636-8, 17/11086-4, 16/23758-4)

TERAN HILARES, R.; DIONIZIO, R. M.; PRADO, C. A.; AHMED, M. A.; DA SILVA, S. S.; SANTOS, J. C.. Pretreatment of sugarcane bagasse using hydrodynamic cavitation technology: Semi-continuous and continuous process. Bioresource Technology, v. 290, OCT 2019. (17/11086-4, 16/10636-8, 16/23758-4)

TERAN HILARES, R.; RESENDE, J.; ORSI, C. A.; AHMED, M. A.; LACERDA, T. M.; DA SILVA, S. S.; SANTOS, J. C.. Exopolysaccharide (pullulan) production from sugarcane bagasse hydrolysate aiming to favor the development of biorefineries. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, v. 127, p. 169-177, APR 15 2019. (16/23758-4, 16/10636-8, 17/11086-4)

FERNANDES ANTUNES, FELIPE ANTONIO; CHANDEL, ANUJ KUMAR; TERAN-HILARES, RULY; INGLE, AVINASH P.; RAI, MAHENDRA; DOS SANTOS MILESSI, THAIS SUZANE; DA SILVA, SILVIO SILVERIO; DOS SANTOS, JULIO CESAR. Overcoming challenges in lignocellulosic biomass pretreatment for second-generation (2G) sugar production: emerging role of nano, biotechnological and promising approaches. 3 BIOTECH, v. 9, n. 6, p. 17-pg., 2019-06-01. (16/23758-4, 16/10636-8, 17/11086-4, 14/27055-2)

HILARES, RULY TERAN; KAMOEI, DOUGLAS VIANA; AHMED, MUHAMMAD AJAZ; DA SILVA, SILVIO SILVERIO; HAN, JONG-IN; DOS SANTOS, JULIO CESAR. A new approach for bioethanol production from sugarcane bagasse using hydrodynamic cavitation assisted-pretreatment and column reactors. ULTRASONICS SONOCHEMISTRY, v. 43, p. 219-226, MAY 2018. (16/23758-4)

HILARES, RULY TERAN; DOS SANTOS, JOANA GONCALVES; SHIGUEMATSU, NICOLE BACIC; AHMED, MUHAMMAD AJAZ; DA SILVA, SILVIO SILVERIO; SANTOS, JULIO CESAR. Low-pressure homogenization of tomato juice using hydrodynamic cavitation technology: Effects on physical properties and stability of bioactive compounds. ULTRASONICS SONOCHEMISTRY, v. 54, p. 192-197, JUN 2019. (16/23758-4, 17/11086-4)

HILARES, RULY TERAN; DIONIZIO, RAFAELA MEDEIROS; MUNOZ, SALVADOR SANCHEZ; PRADO, CARINA ALINE; DE SOUSA JUNIOR, RUY; DA SILVA, SILVIO SILVERIO; SANTOS, JULIO CESAR. Hydrodynamic cavitation-assisted continuous pre-treatment of sugarcane bagasse for ethanol production: Effects of geometric parameters of the cavitation device. ULTRASONICS SONOCHEMISTRY, v. 63, MAY 2020. (17/11086-4, 16/10636-8, 16/23758-4)

Filed patent(s) as a result of this research project