Pilot scale demonstration of a two-stage pretreatment and bioethanol fermentation process for cotton gin trash

T Vancov; J Palmer; B Keen

doi:10.1016/j.biortech.2021.125224

Pilot scale demonstration of a two-stage pretreatment and bioethanol fermentation process for cotton gin trash

Bioresour Technol. 2021 Sep:335:125224. doi: 10.1016/j.biortech.2021.125224. Epub 2021 Apr 28.

Authors

T Vancov¹, J Palmer², B Keen²

Affiliations

¹ NSW Department of Primary Industries, Elizabeth Macarthur Agricultural Institute, NSW, Australia. Electronic address: tony.vancov@dpi.nsw.gov.au.
² NSW Department of Primary Industries, Wollongbar Primary Industries Institute, NSW, Australia.

PMID: 33984554
DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2021.125224

Abstract

A two-stage dilute acid and steam explosion (SE) pretreatment process was developed and evaluated at pilot scale for ethanol production from cotton gin trash (CGT). Optimal conditions for CGT processing were defined as 1:6 solids to liquids ratio with 9% H₂SO₄ wt. on solids at 180 °C for 15 min. during stage 1 with ensuing pressed fibres successively exposed to SE at 200 °C for 5 min during stage 2. SE fibres were highly acquiescent to enzyme hydrolysis (76%) in the presence of PEG 6000, yielding 381 g glucose kg^-1 fibre. Simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) trials validated the selected process option and additional fed-batch SSFs confirmed titres above the minimum 4% ww^-1 benchmark for economically viable distillation. The practicality of converting CGT to ethanol was demonstrated at pilot scale with titres above 4% ww^-1 and a conversion efficiency of 60% t^-1 dry GCT.

Keywords: Bioethanol; Cotton gin trash; Fed-batch simultaneous saccharification and fermentation; Pilot scale; Steam explosion.

MeSH terms

Ethanol*
Fermentation
Garbage*
Hydrolysis
Steam

Substances

Steam
Ethanol