Ethanol production from non-detoxified whole slurry of sulfite-pretreated empty fruit bunches at a low cellulase loading

Published Date
July 2014, Vol.164:331–337, doi:10.1016/j.biortech.2014.04.102

Author 

• Jinlan Cheng ^a,b
• Shao-Yuan Leu ^c,b
• J.Y. Zhu ^b,d,,
• Thomas W. Jeffries ^e

• aJiangsu Provincial Key Lab of Pulp and Paper Science and Technology, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
• bUSDA Forest Service, Forest Products Lab, Madison, WI 53719, USA
• cDept. Civil Environ. Eng., Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong
• dDept. Biological Systems Eng., University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA
• eXylome Corporation, Madison, WI 53705, USA

Received 10 March 2014. Revised 27 April 2014. Accepted 28 April 2014. Available online 9 May 2014. 

Highlights

• High yield of 217 L/tonne ethanol production from EFB pretreated by SPORL.
• •
  Enzymatic hydrolysis and fermentation of non-detoxified pretreated whole slurry.
• •
  Low cellulase loading of 15 FPU/g glucan.

Abstract

Sulfite pretreatment to overcome the recalcitrance of lignocelluloses (SPORL) was applied to an empty fruit bunches (EFB) for ethanol production. SPORL facilitated delignification through lignin sulfonation and dissolution of xylan to result in a highly digestible substrate. The pretreated whole slurry was enzymatically saccharified at a solids loading of 18% using a relatively low cellulase loading of 15 FPU/g glucan and simultaneously fermented without detoxification using Saccharomyces cerevisiae of YRH400. An ethanol yield of 217 L/tonne EFB was achieved at titer of 32 g/L. Compared with literature studies, SPORL produced high ethanol yield and titer with much lower cellulase loading without detoxification.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

• Empty fruit bunches (EFB)
• Pretreatment
• High solids Enzymatic hydrolysis/saccharification
• Fermentation
• High titer ethanol

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• ☆
  This work was conducted when Cheng and Leu were visiting scientists at the USDA Forest Products Laboratory and on official government time of Zhu.

• ⁎ 
  Corresponding author at: USDA Forest Service, Forest Products Lab, Madison, WI 53719, USA. Tel.: +1 608 231 9520.

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