Acid and enzyme hydrolysis to convert pretreated lignocellulosic materials into glucose for ethanol production

• Published in: Carbohydrate polymers Vol. 84; no. 3; pp. 865 - 871
• Main Authors: El-Zawawy, Waleed K., Ibrahim, Maha M., Abdel-Fattah, Yasser R., Soliman, Nadia A., Mahmoud, Morsi M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 17.03.2011; Elsevier
• Subjects: Acid hydrolysis; Agricultural biomass; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Applied sciences; Bioconversions. Hemisynthesis; Biological and medical sciences; Biotechnology; Cellulose and derivatives; Enzyme hydrolysis; Ethanol production; Exact sciences and technology; Food industries; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General agronomy. Plant production; Glucose concentration; Methods. Procedures. Technologies; Natural polymers; Physicochemistry of polymers; Pre-treatment; Use and upgrading of agricultural and food by-products. Biotechnology; Use of agricultural and forest wastes. Biomass use, bioconversion; Enzyme hydrolysis; Glucose concentration; Acid hydrolysis; Pre-treatment; Agricultural biomass; Ethanol production; Mild operating conditions; Glucose; Fungi; Depolymerization; Upgrading; Ascomycota; Ethanol; Enzyme; Chemical pretreatment; Lignocellulosics; Chemical degradation; Experimental study; Fermentation; Rice by product; Vegetal waste; Glycosylases; Cellulase; Glycosidases; Corn cob; Enzymatic digestion; Hydrolases; Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Comparative study
• ISSN: 0144-8617; 1879-1344
• DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2010.12.022

The current research investigates the use of acid and enzyme hydrolysis to produce glucose from pretreated rice straw, banana plant waste and corn cob, as a lignocellulosic materials, to be a source for ethanol production. The agricultural biomasses were first tested, then a laboratory experimental set-up was designed in order to perform the necessary conversions. The biomass materials were characterized to contain 57.46–85.28% holocellulose and 14.55–26.12% lignin. Conversion of the cellulose to glucose was achieved by pre-treatment method for the agricultural residues first applying chemical pulping and steam explosion method as well as microwave treatment then followed by two processes, namely acid hydrolysis and enzyme hydrolysis. Sulfuric acid, 5%, was used in acid hydrolysis and Trichoderma reesei cellulases in enzyme hydrolysis. These experiments demonstrated that glucose concentration differs according to the type of pre-treatment and type of hydrolysis. Conversion of the glucose to ethanol during fermentation was accomplished by the action of yeasts from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Ethanol production in the culture sample was monitored using gas chromatography. The results indicate that ethanol can be made from the above mentioned residues in a different yield according to the pre-treatment and the glucose produced from the hydrolysis method.