Biomass to bio-ethanol: The evaluation of hybrid Pennisetum used as raw material for bio-ethanol production compared with corn stalk by steam explosion joint use of mild chemicals

Jingzhi Zhang, Yanliang Song, Bingwu Wang, Xu Zhang and Tianwei Tan

Renewable Energy, 2016, vol. 88, issue C, 164-170

Abstract: The second generation biomass to bio-ethanol production is of growing interest. Energy crop were becoming important for second generation biomass to bio-ethanol production for their growth advantages. Hybrid Pennisetum as a new hybrid energy crop was selected as a model to compare with corn stalk. As pre-treatment methods, steam explosion and its combined action with dilute sulfuric acid, bisulfite, and mixed dilute acid and bisulfite were selected. The enzymatic hydrolysis demonstrated that the cellulose conversion is a strong function of the pre-treatment method applied, with corn stalk providing slightly better results. With dilute acid steam explosion (DA-SE), conversions were 67.6% and 54.5% for corn stalk and pennisetum, respectively. This can be attributed to the higher Cr. I of pennisetum (65.03%) than of corn stalk (54.05%). The cell lumen of pretreated pennisetum was smaller than for corn stalk as shown in SEM photos, meaning there was a substantially higher enzyme accessible surface and porosity in pennisetum, thus responsible for the higher cellulase adsorption of pretreated pennisetum. DA-SE was the most effective pre-treatment method, but the inhibitors' concentration was higher than in other methods. Combined dilute acid and bisulfite can moderately remove hemicelluloses and lignin. Cr. I values, lignin content, accessible surface and porosity were supplied the energy crop evaluation standards for bio-ethanol production.

Keywords: Steam explosion; Corn stalk; Energy crops; Crystallinity index (Cr. I); Cellulase adsorption; Mild chemicals (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:renene:v:88:y:2016:i:c:p:164-170

DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2015.11.034

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