Abstract
In this study chemical and enzymatic treatment of hemp biomass were optimized to obtain maximum ethanol production. In the first stage, physical and chemical pretreatment of hemp biomass was carried out. It was found that the Tygra variety is susceptible to alkaline treatment at an optimum concentration of 2% NaOH. Next, the effect of NaOH on the value of reducing sugars and the chemical composition of the solid fraction before and after the treatment was determined. Hemp biomass before and after the chemical treatment was analysed by FTIR spectra and SEM. The effect of enzymatic hydrolysis, i.e., substrate content, temperature, time, pH and dose of enzyme by means of Response Surface Methodology on glucose content was determined. The highest glucose value was observed at 50 °C, in time process between 48 and 72 h, and the dose of enzyme was not less than 20 FPU·g−1. After the optimization of enzymatic hydrolysis two processes of ethanol fermentation from hemp biomass, SHF and SSF, were carried out. In the SHF process a 40% higher concentration of ethanol was obtained (10.51 g/L). In conclusion, hemp biomass was found to be an interesting and promising source to be used for bioethanol production.
Highlights
The increase in consumption of fossil fuels, the environmental pollution and the threat of greenhouse effect have forced a dynamic development of alternative fuel markets.A promising lignocellulosic raw material for bioethanol is hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) biomass
The cultivation of hemp for seed purposes is currently intensively developed, hemp biomass remains unused in the field, which can be a suitable raw material for the production of second generation bioethanol
The alkaline pretreatment is a helpful method of removing lignin from materials with lignocelullose and it leads to an increase in the accessibility of biomass structure
Summary
A promising lignocellulosic raw material for bioethanol (second generation biofuel) is hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) biomass. There has been a dynamic increase in the area of hemp cultivation in Poland (over 1000 ha). The cultivation of hemp for seed purposes is currently intensively developed, hemp biomass remains unused in the field, which can be a suitable raw material for the production of second generation bioethanol. The hemp dry matter yield is 10–15 t·ha−1. It is an environmentally friendly plant, with a short vegetation period of 3–4 months and a rapid growth of up to 4 m in height, which improves soil quality and is useful for the reclamation of degraded areas (post-mining heaps). Based on data from 2016, it is estimated that in Poland, the area of devastated and degraded land requiring remediation, constituting a potential area for growing hemp for energy purposes, is about 65,000 ha
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
