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Abstract
BackgroundWhen producing biofuels from dedicated feedstock, agronomic factors such as harvest time and location can impact the downstream production. Thus, this paper studies the effectiveness of ammonia fibre expansion (AFEX) pretreatment on two harvest times (July and October) and ecotypes/locations (Cave-in-Rock (CIR) harvested in Michigan and Alamo harvested in Alabama) for switchgrass (Panicum virgatum).ResultsBoth harvest date and ecotype/location determine the pretreatment conditions that produce maximum sugar yields. There was a high degree of correlation between glucose and xylose released regardless of the harvest, pretreatment conditions, or enzyme formulation. Enzyme formulation that produced maximum sugar yields was the same across all harvests except for the CIR October harvest. The least mature sample, the July harvest of CIR switchgrass, released the most sugars (520 g/kg biomass) during enzymatic hydrolysis while requiring the least severe pretreatment conditions. In contrast, the most mature harvest released the least amount of sugars (410 g/kg biomass). All hydrolysates were highly fermentable, although xylose utilisation in the July CIR hydrolysate was poor.ConclusionsEach harvest type and location responded differently to AFEX pretreatment, although all harvests successfully produced fermentable sugars. Thus, it is necessary to consider an integrated approach between agricultural production and biochemical processing in order to insure optimal productivity.
Highlights
When producing biofuels from dedicated feedstock, agronomic factors such as harvest time and location can impact the downstream production
The amount of lignin present has been linked to poor hydrolysis yields, as ammonia fibre expansion (AFEX) does not remove lignin
The CIR switchgrass, grown in Michigan, experienced a shorter growing season than the Alamo harvests, and the July harvest of CIR is less mature than Alamo, while the October harvest of CIR is more mature than Alamo, as the northern variety tends to senesce earlier in the year
Summary
When producing biofuels from dedicated feedstock, agronomic factors such as harvest time and location can impact the downstream production. This paper studies the effectiveness of ammonia fibre expansion (AFEX) pretreatment on two harvest times (July and October) and ecotypes/locations (Cave-in-Rock (CIR) harvested in Michigan and Alamo harvested in Alabama) for switchgrass (Panicum virgatum). The conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to ethanol is a renewable, environmentally friendly alternative to oil for transportation fuel. Agricultural residues such as corn stover and wheat straw will most likely play a significant role, dedicated energy crops must be grown in order to make enough biofuels. The Oak Ridge National Laboratory predicts that 171 million tons of switchgrass can be produced economically within the US [4]
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