Study of simultaneous saccharification and fermentation for steam exploded wheat straw to ethanol

Abstract

Although simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) has been investigated extensively, the optimum condition for SSF of wheat straw has not yet been determined. Dilute sulfuric acid impregnated and steam explosion pretreated wheat straw was used as a substrate for the production of ethanol by SSF through orthogonal experiment design in this study. Cellulase mixture (Celluclast 1.5 l and ?-glucosidase Novozym 188) were adopted in combination with the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae AS2.1. The effects of reaction temperature, substrate concentration, initial fermentation liquid pH value and enzyme loading were evaluated and the SSF conditions were optimized. The ranking, from high to low, of influential extent of the SSF affecting factors to ethanol concentration and yield was substrate concentration, enzyme loading, initial fermentation liquid pH value and reaction temperature, respectively. The optimal SSF conditions were: reaction temperature, 35°C; substrate concentration, 100 g·L^-1; initial fermentation liquid pH, 5.0; enzyme loading, 30 FPU·g^-1. Under these conditions, the ethanol concentration increased with reaction time, and after 72 h, ethanol was obtained in 65.8% yield with a concentration of 22.7 g·L^-1.

Keywords

dilute sulfuric acid catalysis / steam explosion pre-treatment / wheat straw / simultaneous saccharification and fermentation / ethanol