KINETIC STUDY OF ANAEROBIC BIODIGESTION OF VINASSE AND PENTOSES LIQUOR ARISING FROM PRODUCTION OF ETHANOL FROM SUGAR CANE

• Grant number: 12/16178-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: March 01, 2013
• End date: May 31, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Sanitary Engineering - Water Supply and Wastewater Treatment
• Principal Investigator: Ariovaldo José da Silva
• Grantee: Daniela Fornaziero de Oliveira
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Engenharia Agrícola (FEAGRI). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 09/15984-0 - Bioenergy production from wastewaters and environmental fitting of liquid and solid wastes generated, AP.TEM

Abstract

The projection of the sustainability in the sector of bioethanol production fromsugar cane in the Brazil motivated the development of searches for the energeticoptimization of the process together with the compatibility environmental of wastegenerated. In this scenario the anaerobic digestion of liquid effluents fromproduction is an interesting alternative since in addition to promoting thestabilization of organic matter present in the effluent enables power generationfrom biogas generated. This approach also stimulates the production of 2ndgeneration ethanol i.e., the ethanol produced from lignocellulosic material frombagasse of sugar cane. The cogeneration of energy from the burning of bagasse couldbe replaced by biogas, particularly methane from anaerobic digestion of thismaterial. Unlike the production of first generation ethanol (from sugar cane juice)the 2nd generation ethanol is still quite recent and limited, but it is known thatthe effluent from the pre-treatment of the bagasse, the pentose liquor must beproperly handled so that environmental damage be avoided. Other waste ofhigh-polluting power is the vinasse that is generated in large volumes during thedistillation of ethanol. Although there are some researches about anaerobicdigestion of vinasse from sugar cane the lack of information regarding fundamentalaspects of this process prevents the full implementation and optimized thistechnology in power plants. The obstacles are even greater in relation to pentoseliqueur due to absence of information available in the literature about theanaerobic digestion of this material except the attempts of its use for theproduction of ethanol or other products on a biorefinery. Thus, this research aimsto characterize the kinetics of anaerobic digestion of vinasse and pentose liqueurwith a view to contribute to the implementation and expansion of this sustainabletechnology.