Evaluation and optimization of pretreatments and enzymatic hydrolysis of the sugarcane bagasse for second generation ethanol production

Author(s)

Sarita Cândida Rabelo

• Document type: Doctoral Thesis
• Press: Campinas, SP.
• Institution: Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Faculdade de Engenharia Química
• Defense date: 2010-04-23

Examining board members

Aline Carvalho da Costa; Carlos Eduardo Vaz Rossell; Antonio Maria Francisco Luiz José Bonomi; Daniel Ibraim Pires Atala; Silvia Azucena Nebra

• Advisor: Rubens Maciel Filho; Aline Carvalho da Costa

Abstract

The great challenge for second generation ethanol production is the determination of the best option to render glucose available through hydrolysis of cellulose in terms of overall cost, glucose yield and fermentability of the hydrolysate. In this work the objective was to study the production of second generation ethanol from sugarcane bagasse. The topics considered included the optimization and comparison of two pretreatments (calcium hydroxide and alkaline hydrogen peroxide), the optimization of the enzymatic load in the hydrolysis step and at the fermentation of the hydrolysate for ethanol production. Also, proposals were made for the use of the process residues, especially the pretreatment liquor, the hydrolysis residue and the precipitated residual lignin. The results show that the pretreatments are effective in improving enzymatic attack during the hydrolysis step. After optimization, it was possible to obtain cellulose yields of 51.78% and 83.41% for the pretreatments with calcium hydroxide and alkaline hydrogen peroxide, respectively. After optimization of the enzymatic load it was possible to convert 90.8% and 100.0% of cellulose in the pretreated material with calcium hydroxide and alkaline hydrogen peroxide, using enzymes loading of 50.0 FPU/g dry pretreated biomass and 25.0 CBU/g dry pretreated biomass and 3.5 FPU/g dry pretreated biomass and 25.0 CBU/g dry pretreated biomass, respectively. The hydrolysates obtained in each pretreatment did not have any fermentability difficulties, leading to ethanol yields close to the stoichiometric. Studies evaluating biogas production from the pretreatment liquor and hydrolysis residues have shown that it is possible to achieve good yields for the two pretreatments, with 180.09 ± 6.08 Ncm3 of methane/g COD for the pretreatment liquor with calcium hydroxide and 126.58 ± 8.78 Ncm3 of methane/g COD for the pretreatment liquor with alkaline hydrogen peroxide being produced in the best conditions. When the hydrolysis residue was considered 171.51 ± 8.72 Ncm3 of methane/g COD for the bagasse pretreated residue with calcium hydroxide and 165.52 ± 6.14 Ncm of methane/g COD for the bagasse pretreated residue with alkaline hydrogen peroxide were produced. The lignin obtained after acid precipitation in the pretreatments liquor showed, after thermal analysis, a higher enthalpy for bagasse pretreated with calcium hydroxide compared to bagasse pretreated with peroxide, of 67.9 J/g and 52.5 J/g, respectively. Thus, in addition to the lignin, the use of biogas energy can become an important complement to the second generation ethanol production (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 07/01525-9 - Evaluation of pre-treatment and modeling of enzymatic hydrolysis of sugar cane bagasse for ethanol production
• Grantee: Sarita Candida Rabelo
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate