Production of ethanol from corn stover hemicellulose hydrolyzate using Pichia stipitis.

Hemicellulose liquid hydrolyzate from dilute acid pretreated corn stover was fermented to ethanol using Pichia stipitis CBS 6054. The fermentation rate increased with aeration but the pH also increased due to consumption of acetic acid by Pichia stipitis. Hemicellulose hydrolyzate containing 34 g/L xylose, 8 g/L glucose, 8 g/L Acetic acid, 0.73 g/L furfural, and 1 g/L hydroxymethyl furfural was fermented to 15 g/L ethanol in 72 h. The yield in all the hemicellulose hydrolyzates was 0.37-0.44 g ethanol/g (glucose + xylose). Nondetoxified hemicellulose hydrolyzate from dilute acid pretreated corn stover was fermented to ethanol with high yields, and this has the potential to improve the economics of the biomass to ethanol process.