Lignocelluloses are often a major or sometimes the sole components of different waste streams from various industries, forestry, agriculture and municipalities. Hydrolysis of these materials is the first step for either digestion to biogas (methane) or fermentation to ethanol. However, enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocelluloses with no pretreatment is usually not so effective because of high stability of the materials to enzymatic or bacterial attacks. The present work is dedicated to reviewing the methods that have been studied for pretreatment of lignocellulosic wastes for conversion to ethanol or biogas. Effective parameters in pretreatment of lignocelluloses, such as crystallinity, accessible surface area, and protection by lignin and hemicellulose are described first. Then, several pretreatment methods are discussed and their effects on improvement in ethanol and/or biogas production are described. They include milling, irradiation, microwave, steam explosion, ammonia fiber explosion (AFEX), supercritical CO2 and its explosion, alkaline hydrolysis, liquid hot-water pretreatment, organosolv processes, wet oxidation, ozonolysis, dilute- and concentrated-acid hydrolyses, and biological pretreatments.

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Pretreatment of lignocellulosic wastes to improve ethanol and biogas production: a review.

To improve process economics of the lignocellulose to ethanol process a reactor system for enzymatic liquefaction and saccharification at high-solids concentrations was developed. The technology is based on free fall mixing employing a horizontally placed drum with a horizontal rotating shaft mounted with paddlers for mixing. Enzymatic liquefaction and saccharification of pretreated wheat straw was tested with up to 40% (w/w) initial DM. In less than 10 h, the structure of the material was changed from intact straw particles (length 1-5 cm) into a paste/liquid that could be pumped. Tests revealed no significant effect of mixing speed in the range 3.3-11.5 rpm on the glucose conversion after 24 h and ethanol yield after subsequent fermentation for 48 h. Low-power inputs for mixing are therefore possible. Liquefaction and saccharification for 96 h using an enzyme loading of 7 FPU/g.DM and 40% DM resulted in a glucose concentration of 86 g/kg. Experiments conducted at 2%-40% (w/w) initial DM revealed that cellulose and hemicellulose conversion decreased almost linearly with increasing DM. Performing the experiments as simultaneous saccharification and fermentation also revealed a decrease in ethanol yield at increasing initial DM. Saccharomyces cerevisiae was capable of fermenting hydrolysates up to 40% DM. The highest ethanol concentration, 48 g/kg, was obtained using 35% (w/w) DM. Liquefaction of biomass with this reactor system unlocks the possibility of 10% (w/w) ethanol in the fermentation broth in future lignocellulose to ethanol plants.

https://www.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/bit.21115

Liquefaction of Lignocellulose at High-Solids Concentrations

Biomass is pretreated using a low concentration of aqueous ammonia at high biomass concentration. Pretreated biomass is further hydrolyzed with a saccharification enzyme consortium. Fermentable sugars released by saccharification may be utilized for the production of target chemicals by fermentation.

Treatment of biomass to obtain fermentable sugars

The present invention relates to isolated polypeptides having cellulolytic enhancing activity and isolated polynucleotides encoding the polypeptides. The invention also relates to nucleic acid constructs, vectors, and host cells comprising the polynucleotides as well as methods of producing and using the polypeptides.

Polypeptides having cellulolytic enhancing activity and polynucleotides encoding same

Target chemicals were produced using biocatalysts that are able to ferment sugars derived from treated biomass. Sugars were obtained by pretreating biomass under conditions of high solids and low ammonia concentration, followed by saccharification.

Treatment of biomass to obtain a target chemical

The use of the intensive mass transfer reactor (IMTR) for enzymatic saccharification of cellulose, where the reaction mixture is intensively stirred by ferromagnetic particles (FMP), enhances the process rate and productivity drastically. The most significant enhancement of the process was observed when microcrystalline cellulose was used as a substrate. A concentration of sugars up to 5% was obtained after 1 h of cellulose hydrolysis using a cellulase activity level of 2 filter paper units (FPU)/mL (20 FPU/g substrate). In the hydrolysis of two types of industrial cellulosic wastes, the enhancement effects were less pronounced. Parameters related to the IMTR design, such as the shape, dimensions, and mass of FMP, as well as the magnetic field strength, strongly affected the process of hydrolysis. Among various kinds of FMP tested, the most efficient were found to be cylindrical particles (0.25 x 4 mm). In general, the hydrolysis rate enhanced when the magnetic field strength increased from 26,000 to 64,000 A/m. An optimal FMP loading existed at each level of the field strength. Hydrolyzates obtained in the IMTR under the action ofTrichoderma reesei andPenicillium verruculosum cellulases contained glucose and cellobiose as soluble products, cellobiose being predominant (> 50%). Only when a high level of extra Β-glucosidase was added to the IMTR (10 CBU/mL), did glucose made up more than 90% of the products. Owing to extreme shear conditions in the IMTR, significant enzyme inactivation took place.

Enhancement of enzymatic cellulose hydrolysis using a novel type of bioreactor with intensive stirring induced by electromagnetic field

A new type of bioreactor, the intensive mass transfer reactor (IMTR), has been developed for enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose. Using T. reesei cellulases (2 FPU/ml), 3.5–6% of sugars were obtained in the IMTR after 0.5–2 h of cellulose hydrolysis with a productivity of 30–73 g/l.h.

Valery Yu. Davydkin

Papers

Enhancement of enzymatic cellulose hydrolysis using a novel type of bioreactor with intensive stirring induced by electromagnetic field

A hyperefficient process for enzymatic cellulose hydrolysis in the intensive mass transfer reactor

Use of a bioreactor with intense mass-transfer for enzymatic-hydrolysis of cellulose-containing materials