Maria das Graças de Almeida Felipe

Bioconversion of sugarcane biomass into ethanol: an overview about composition, pretreatment methods, detoxification of hydrolysates, enzymatic saccharification, and ethanol fermentation.

Depleted supplies of fossil fuel, regular price hikes of gasoline, and environmental damage have necessitated the search for economic and eco-benign alternative of gasoline. Ethanol is produced from food/feed-based substrates (grains, sugars, and molasses), and its application as an energy source does not seem fit for long term due to the increasing fuel, food, feed, and other needs. These concerns have enforced to explore the alternative means of cost competitive and sustainable supply of biofuel. Sugarcane residues, sugarcane bagasse (SB), and straw (SS) could be the ideal feedstock for the second-generation (2G) ethanol production. These raw materials are rich in carbohydrates and renewable and do not compete with food/feed demands. However, the efficient bioconversion of SB/SS (efficient pretreatment technology, depolymerization of cellulose, and fermentation of released sugars) remains challenging to commercialize the cellulosic ethanol. Among the technological challenges, robust pretreatment and development of efficient bioconversion process (implicating suitable ethanol producing strains converting pentose and hexose sugars) have a key role to play. This paper aims to review the compositional profile of SB and SS, pretreatment methods of cane biomass, detoxification methods for the purification of hydrolysates, enzymatic hydrolysis, and the fermentation of released sugars for ethanol production.

A study on the pretreatment of a sugarcane bagasse sample with dilute sulfuric acid.

Experiments based on a 23 central composite full factorial design were carried out in 200-ml stainless-steel containers to study the pretreatment, with dilute sulfuric acid, of a sugarcane bagasse sample obtained from a local sugar–alcohol mill. The independent variables selected for study were temperature, varied from 112.5°C to 157.5°C, residence time, varied from 5.0 to 35.0 min, and sulfuric acid concentration, varied from 0.0% to 3.0% (w/v). Bagasse loading of 15% (w/w) was used in all experiments. Statistical analysis of the experimental results showed that all three independent variables significantly influenced the response variables, namely the bagasse solubilization, efficiency of xylose recovery in the hemicellulosic hydrolysate, efficiency of cellulose enzymatic saccharification, and percentages of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin in the pretreated solids. Temperature was the factor that influenced the response variables the most, followed by acid concentration and residence time, in that order. Although harsher pretreatment conditions promoted almost complete removal of the hemicellulosic fraction, the amount of xylose recovered in the hemicellulosic hydrolysate did not exceed 61.8% of the maximum theoretical value. Cellulose enzymatic saccharification was favored by more efficient removal of hemicellulose during the pretreatment. However, detoxification of the hemicellulosic hydrolysate was necessary for better bioconversion of the sugars to ethanol.

Utilization of sugar cane bagasse hemicellulosic hydrolyzate by Candida guilliermondii for xylitol production

Abstract Sugar cane bagasse hemicellulosic hydrolyzate from steam explosion was treated by seven different methods in which the pH was altered by bases (including Ca(OH) 2 , CaO and KOH) and H 2 SO 4 . The effectiveness of the treatment was judged by measuring the conversion of the hydrolyzate to xylitol by Candida guilliermondii . The best treatment was found to be the alteration of pH to 10 with Ca(OH) 2 and its subsequent decrease to 6·5 with H 2 SO 4 , since 95% of the original 70 g/liter xylose contained in the hydrolyzate was converted to xylitol with a yield of 0·48 g/g (53% of the theoretical maximum).

The influence of pH, temperature and hydrolyzate concentration on the removal of volatile and nonvolatile compounds from sugarcane bagasse hemicellulosic hydrolyzate treated with activated charcoal before or after vacuum evaporation

This paper analyzes the influence of pH, temperature and degree of hydrolyzate concentration on the removal of volatile and nonvolatile compounds from sugarcane bagasse hemicellulosic hydrolyzate treated with activated charcoal before or after the vacuum evaporation process. Furfural and 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural were almost totally removed in all the experiments, irrespective of pH and temperature and whether the charcoal was added before or after the vacuum evaporation process. Adding activated charcoal before the vacuum evaporation process favored the removal of phenolic compounds for all values of pH. Acetic acid, on the contrary, was most effectively removed when the activated charcoal was added after the vacuum evaporation process at an acid pH (0.92) and at the highest degree of hydrolyzate concentration (f=4). However, addition of activated charcoal before or after vacuum evaporation at an acid pH (0.92) and at the highest degree of hydrolyzate concentration (f=4) favored the removal of both acetic acid and phenolic compounds.

Pretreatment of Sugarcane Bagasse Hemicellulose Hydrolysate for Xylitol Production by Candida guilliermondii

In order to remove or reduce the concentrations of toxic substances present in the sugarcane bagasse hemicellulose hydrolysate for xylose-to-xylitol bioconversion, the hydrolysate was pretreated by changing the initial pH level through the combination of different bases and acids with or without the subsequent addition of activated charcoal. Attention was given to the influence of the fermentation time as well.

Sugarcane bagasse as alternative packing material for biofiltration of benzene polluted gaseous streams: a preliminary study

Removal of benzene vapor from gaseous streams was studied in two identically sized lab-scale biofiltration columns: one filled with a mixture of raw sugarcane bagasse and glass beads, and the other one packed with a mixture of ground sugarcane bagasse and glass beads, in the same volume ratio, as filter materials. Separate series of continuous tests were performed, in parallel, under the same operating conditions (inlet benzene concentration of 10.0, 20.0 or 50.0 mg m(-3), and superficial gas velocity of 30.6, 61.2 or 122.4 m h(-1)) in order to evaluate and compare the influence of the packing material characteristics upon the biofilter effectiveness. The maximum elimination capacities obtained, at an inlet load of 6.12 g m(-3) h(-1), were 3.50 and 3.80 g m(-3)packibng material h(-1) with raw and ground sugarcane bagasse, respectively. This was a preliminary study and the results obtained suggest only a limited application with more work needed.

Xylitol production by Candida guillermondii as an approach for the utilization of agroindustrial residues

Abstract Different substrates based on hydrolyzed hemicellulosic fractions of agroindustrial residues were used for xylitol production by Candida guilliermondii FTI 20037 under semi-aerobic conditions. Batch fermentation performances were characterized and compared with those attained in a synthetic medium using d -xylose as a major carbon source. For all media tested, simultaneous utilization of hemicellulosic sugars (glucose and xylose) was observed and the highest substrate uptake rate was attained in sugar cane bagasse medium. Increased xylitol concentrations (40 g/litre) were achieved in synthetic and rice straw-media, although the highest xylitol production rate was obtained in sugar cane bagasse hydrolysate. These results show that both hydrolysates can be converted into xylitol with satisfactory yields and productivities.

Environmental parameters affecting xylitol production from sugar cane bagasse hemicellulosic hydrolyzate by Candida guilliermondii

The bioconversion of xylose to xylitol by Candida guilliermondii FTI 20037 cultivated in sugar cane bagasse hemicellulosic hydrolyzate was influenced by cell inoculum level, age of inoculum and hydrolyzate concentration. The maximum xylitol productivity (0.75 g L−1 h−1) occurred in tests carried out with hydrolyzate containing 54.5 g L−1 of xylose, using 3.0 g L−1 of a 24-h-old inoculum. Xylitol productivity and cell concentration decreased with hydrolyzate containing 74.2 g L−1 of xylose.

Fermentation of sugar cane bagasse hemicellulosic hydrolysate for xylitol production: Effect of pH

Candida guilliermondii FTI 20037 was grown in sugar cane bagasse hydrolysate supplemented with (NH4)2SO4 2.0 g l−1, CaCl2 0.1 g l−1 and rice bran 20.0 g l−1, through 45-h batch tests (agitation of 200 min−1 and temperature of 30°C) with initial pH varying from 2.5 to 7.5. Under pH < 4.5 the consumption of glucose, xylose and arabinose as well as the production of xylitol and cells were inhibited. Nevertheless, at pH values ≥ 5.5 the yeast produced xylitol with a yield of 0.75 g g−1 and productivity of 0.57 g l−1 h−1. Moreover, the yeast was also capable of metabolizing the acetic acid, which is always present in media made from hydrolysates of plant material. The inhibition of xylose/xylitol bioconversion could be related to the effects of low pH and undissociated acetic acid concentration over 5.0 g l−1.

Scale-up of diluted sulfuric acid hydrolysis for producing sugarcane bagasse hemicellulosic hydrolysate (SBHH)

Sugarcane bagasse was pretreated with diluted sulfuric acid to obtain sugarcane bagasse hemicellulosic hydrolysate (SBHH). Experiments were conducted in laboratory and semi-pilot reactors to optimize the xylose recovery and to reduce the generation of sugar degradation products, as furfural and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF). The hydrolysis scale-up procedure was based on the H-Factor, that combines temperature and residence time and employs the Arrhenius equation to model the sulfuric acid concentration (100 mg(acid)/g(dm)) and activation energy (109 kJ/mol). This procedure allowed the mathematical estimation of the results through simulation of the conditions prevailing in the reactors with different designs. The SBHH obtained from different reactors but under the same H-Factor of 5.45+/-0.15 reached similar xylose yield (approximately 74%) and low concentration of sugar degradation products, as furfural (0.082 g/L) and HMF (0.0071 g/L). Also, the highest lignin degradation products (phenolic compounds) were rho-coumarilic acid (0.15 g/L) followed by ferulic acid (0.12 g/L) and gallic acid (0.035 g/L). The highest concentration of ions referred to S (3433.6 mg/L), Fe (554.4 mg/L), K (103.9 mg/L). The H-Factor could be used without dramatically altering the xylose and HMF/furfural levels. Therefore, we could assume that H-Factor was directly useful in the scale-up of the hemicellulosic hydrolysate production.