High-solid enzymatic hydrolysis of sugarcane bagasse and ethanol production in repeated batch process using column reactors

Alkaline sulfite pretreated sugarcane bagasse was enzymatically hydrolyzed in a packed-bed column reactor and a bubble column reactor was evaluated to produce ethanol from the hydrolysate. Initial solid loadings of 9–16% were used in column reactor in the hydrolysis step, and the use of lower value (9%) resulted in 41 g L−1 of glucose in the hydrolysate, corresponding to 87% of cellulose hydrolysis yield. This yield was reduced to 65% for a solid loading of 16%, corresponding to a glucose concentration of 54 g L−1. Subsequently, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Scheffersomyces stipitis were used for ethanol production in medium based on hydrolysate previously obtained, using different aeration flowrates (0.3, 0.5 and 0.7 vvm). In simple batch fermentation using S. cerevisiae, higher ethanol yield (0.40 g.g−1) and productivity (1.58 g.L−1.h−1) were achieved using 0.5 vvm. When S. stipitis was used in simple batch co-fermentations, the maximum ethanol productivities were obtained using 0.5 and 0.7 vvm (0.64 and 0.63 g.L−1.h−1, respectively). Successive repeated batches resulted in average ethanol concentration of 38 g.L−1 and fermentation efficiency of 82%, when using S. cerevisiae. For S. stipitis, those values were, respectively, 36 g.L−1 and 50%, with volumetric productivity increased along the cycles. Thus, the potential of the bioreactors as simple systems for use in the biological steps of biorefineries was demonstrated.