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A facile and cost effective method of producing ethanol from Triticale straw. By maximising the sugar yield from triticale straw a new process of creating biofuel has been found.
About
Brief Description An optimum range of steam pre-treatment conditions has been developed to maximise sugar yield from triticale biomass (a hybrid cereal of wheat and rye) for the eventual production of ethanol. Technical Description In this study, triticale straw was evaluated as a source of fermentable sugars by combination of steam explosion and enzymatic hydrolysis. The enzymatic hydrolysis of pre-treated triticale straw was also optimized, by experimenting with different enzymes or combinations of enzymes and the incubation period required for hydrolysis to occur. The optimal conditions that would provide at least 95% of the maximum combined sugar yield for the cultivar were selected for performing steam explosion treatment. The pre-treatment conditions included one or more of the following: temperature, residence time, severity factor, with or without a catalyst. Ethanol can be produced from triticale straw according to the present invention by subjecting the straw to a steam explosion pre- treatment process under specific conditions and performing simultaneous saccharification (the breaking down of starches into sugars) and fermentation to produce ethanol, using pre-treated material which is recovered and pressed after the pre-treatment process and at least two enzymes. Innovation Status A provisional patent application has been filed (South Africa patent application no. 2014/09205)
Key Benefits
Lignocellulose (dry plant matter) that makes up much of the mass of plants, has become one of the most important materials under study as raw material for ethanol production. It’s a natural by-product of agricultural activities, thus widely available at a marginal price and it’s not in competition with food. As a source for ethanol production, it’s rich in carbohydrates (sugars) necessary for fermentation into ethanol. However, the production of ethanol from biomass on a large scale has not been possible because the sugars necessary for fermentation are trapped inside the lignocellulose. The efficient bioconversion of biomass has therefore remained a challenge up until now. Researchers at Stellenbosch University have succeeded in obtaining high yields of sugar from triticale straw by pre-treatment of the straw. Specifically, the invention has identified the optimal conditions for performing steam explosion pre-treatment on triticale straw to provide the maximum combined sugar yield from the straw.
Applications
Target Markets Commercial producers of biofuels. Existing plants producing ethanol from triticale grains, wanting to expand into ethanol production from the straw inherent in triticale agriculture. Competitive Advantage Plant biomass, in this case triticale straw, is a natural by-product of agriculture. It is not in itself a food source, and is therefore an abundant and sustainable raw material for the production of ethanol from fermentable sugars. The optimum treatment conditions as identified this invention increase the yield of fermentable sugars from the straw for ethanol production, thereby permitting triticale biomass to be considered as a viable alternative energy source to fossil fuels. This invention is a major step towards the large scale production of ethanol from plant biomass. There is only one plant in existence in the State Iowa, in the United States of America. The creation of a plant for the production of ethanol from plant waste will put South Africa at the forefront of alternative fuel creation.