Study of the degradation of banana crop residues for bioethanol production

• Grant number: 12/24531-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: March 01, 2013
• End date: February 28, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Physical-Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Camila Alves de Rezende
• Grantee: Yone Sayuri Hanagusko de Siqueira
• Host Institution: Instituto de Química (IQ). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The uncertainties about the availability and the environmental consequences of the use of fossil fuels demand the development of new technologies focused on the production of clean and renewable energy sources, such as biofuels. Ethanol production from cellulose contained on plant biomass is an interesting route, which success depends on the fractionation of the biopolymers constituent of the cell wall and on the number of fermentable sugars produced. There are diverse types of biomasses that are actually discarded, and that could be used for this purpose. Each material has its own characteristics and it is necessary to know its chemical composition and the spatial organization of the components to define its applications and the more appropriate extraction approaches. The aim of this project is to study the cell wall degradation on peels, leaves, and pseudostems of banana trees, which are agricultural residues produced in a large scale in Brazil. Chemical treatments based on acids and bases will be used to promote biomass fractionation and the chemical and morphological changes will be followed by techniques of compositional analysis and by optical and scanning electron microscopies (SEM). The results should allow the improvement of the chemical methods applied to the degradation of these residues, aiming for ethanol production, and also the achievement of intermediates, such as fibers and materials micro or nanostructured, for other applications.(AU)