Cellulosic ethanol from sugarcane straw and trash: non-conventional pretreatments and biotechnological conversion

• Grant number: 13/18831-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate (Direct)
• Start date: April 14, 2014
• End date: January 13, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Chemical Engineering - Chemical Technology
• Principal Investigator: Adilson Roberto Gonçalves
• Grantee: Naila Ribeiro Mori
• Supervisor: Renata Bura
• Host Institution: Escola de Engenharia de Lorena (EEL). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Lorena , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: University of Washington, United States
• Associated to the scholarship: 10/20395-1 - Cellulosic ethanol from sugarcane straw and trash: non-conventional pre-treatments and biotechnological conversion, BP.DD

Abstract

The main objectives of this work is to study and to develop a route of ethanol obtaining from sugarcane straw and trash, in a first step, straw and trash will be pretreated to separate their lignocellulosic constituents and, consequently, to facilitate the hydrolysis step. It will be studied one method of conventional pretreatment (hydrothermal) and two others less conventional pretreatments methods (ultrasound and gamma rays), as well as the combination of them in order to determine the best condition for obtaining cellulose to ethanol production. All this research step of pretreatments will be monitored by chemical characterization analysis. After the pretreatment step, the material will be hydrolyzed with commercial cellulase. However, to reduce or eliminate the effect of inhibition of cellulase by lignin, an alkaline extraction step prior to hydrolysis will be carried out in previously optimized conditions In addition, it will be studied the effect of each step of the process in each fraction which constitutes the trash (peel, top, leaf, etc.) for a better assess of what happens with these different structures when subjected to enzymatic hydrolysis and pretreatments. This study will allow elucidating the modes and mechanisms of interaction between the lignocellulosic material, the chemical reagents, the enzymes and the conditions adopted in processing of cellulosic ethanol. From these studies it is intended to propose an effective route for the production of bioethanol. (AU)