Ethanol Production from Microwave-assisted FeCl3 Pretreated Rice Straw

Abstract

Microwave-assisted FeCl3 pretreated rice straw was used for enzymatic saccharification and ethanol production. Reducing sugars concentration from pretreated rice straw was 5.85 g/L after 48 h, which was higher than that from untreated rice straw. Simultaneous enzymatic saccharification and fermentation of untreated and pretreated rice straw was carried out using Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Pichia stipitis, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Pichia stipitis, and immobilized Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Pichia stipitis cells. Ethanol production from pretreated rice straw had shorter reaction time, and could achieve higher ethanol concentration than untreated rice straw in these simultaneous enzymatic saccharification and fermentation processes. Ethanol concentration from simultaneous enzymatic saccharification and fermentation with immobilized Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Pichia stipitis cells was higher than that from simultaneous enzymatic saccharification and fermentation with Saccharomyces cerevisiae, simultaneous enzymatic saccharification and fermentation with Pichia stipites, and simultaneous enzymatic saccharification and fermentation with Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Pichia stipitis. The maximum ethanol concentration obtained from simultaneous enzymatic saccharification and fermentation of pretreated rice straw using immobilized Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Pichia stipitis cells was 5.51 g/L after 48 h.