Optimization in pre-treatment alkaline bank reactor of sugar cane bacteria with sodium carbonate as a catalyst

• Grant number: 17/23332-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: March 01, 2018
• End date: February 28, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Chemical Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Elisângela de Jesus Cândido Moraes
• Grantee: Artur Florencio Cornacini
• Host Institution: Escola de Engenharia de Lorena (EEL). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Lorena , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The way society uses natural energy sources and their impact on the environment are topics that are today much discussed by the scientific community. Oil is still the main source of energy; however, its possible shortage and high emission of polluting gases have attracted attention to renewable and less polluting natural source: the plant biomass. In the biofuels sector, sugarcane has stood out because of its high potential in the production of ethanol and Brazil is a world leader in this sector. However, a byproduct of ethanol production from sugarcane can also be seen as a potential in the production of ethanol: the sugarcane bagasse. In order to make bagasse viable for the production of ethanol, in this case known as second generation ethanol, a pre-treatment is necessary. The pre-treatment is responsible for removing the lignin from the lignocellulosic material, allowing the enzymatic hydrolysis of the cellulose or cellulose. The objective of this project is to analyze the technical, economic and environmental aspects of the alkaline pre-treatment of sugarcane bagasse using sodium carbonate (Na2CO3) as a catalyst. The project will be developed in the Separation Processes Laboratory at the Chemical Engineering Department at the Engineering School of Lorena of the University of São Paulo for a period of one (1) year. For the process analysis, mass and process energy balances will be performed by the Aspen Plus computational tool (Aspen Technology Inc., USA). It is expected to analyze the best pre-treatment conditions for obtaining the pre-treated sugarcane bagasse that may subsequently pass through the enzymatic hydrolysis in other projects. (AU)