Alkaline pretreatment methods followed by acid hydrolysis of Saccharum spontaneum for bioethanol production.

Different alkaline pretreatment methods (NaOH, NaOH+10% urea and aqueous ammonia) were optimized for maximum delignification of Saccharum spontaneum at 30°C. Maximum delignification were obtained as 47.8%, 51% and 48% from NaOH (7% NaOH, 48h, and 10% biomass loading), NaOH+urea (7% NaOH+10% urea, 48 h and 10% biomass loading) and 30% ammonia (40 days and 10% biomass loading) respectively. H(2)SO(4) 60% (v/v), 10% biomass loading at 30°C for 4h, were optimized conditions to solubilize the cellulose and hemicellulose from solid residue obtained after different optimized alkaline pretreatments. Slurry thus obtained was diluted to obtain final acid concentration of 10% (v/v) for real hydrolysis of cellulose and hemicellulose at 100°C for 1h. Among all pretreatment methods applied, the best result 0.58 g (85%) reducing sugars/g of initial biomass after acid hydrolysis was obtained from aqueous ammonia pretreated biomass. Scheffersomyces stipitis CBS6054 was used to ferment the hydrolysate; ethanol yield (Y(p/s)) and productivity (r(p)) were found to be 0.35 g/g and 0.22 g/L/h respectively.