Economic impact of total solids loading on enzymatic hydrolysis of dilute acid pretreated corn stover

In process integration studies of the biomass-to-ethanol conversion process, it is necessary to understand how cellulose conversion yields vary as a function of solids and enzyme loading and other key operating variables. The impact of solids loading on enzymatic cellulose hydrolysis of dilute acid pretreated corn stover slurry was determined using an experimental response surface design methodology. From the experimental work, an empirical correlation was obtained that expresses monomeric glucose yield from enzymatic cellulose hydrolysis as a function of solids loading, enzyme loading, and temperature. This correlation was used in a technoeconomic model to study the impact of solids loading on ethanol production economics. The empirical correlation was used to provide a more realistic assessment of process cost by accounting for changes in cellulose conversion yields at different solids and enzyme loadings as well as enzyme cost. As long as enzymatic cellulose conversion drops off at higher total solids loading (due to end-product inhibition or other factors), there is an optimum value for the total solids loading that minimizes the ethanol production cost. The optimum total solids loading shifts to higher values as enzyme cost decreases.     

乙醇预处理麦秆的酶解性能研究简

采用H2 SO4催化和自催化乙醇法对麦秆进行预处理,比较预处理后麦秆的主要化学组成、纤维素酶解性能和半同步糖化发酵生产乙醇特性,并进行物料衡算。结果表明：H2 SO4催化和自催化乙醇预处理过程中纤维素固体回收率大于90％。添加非离子表面活性剂吐温20和吐温80没有显著提高H2 SO4催化乙醇预处理后纤维素的酶解葡萄糖得率及半同步糖化发酵过程中乙醇的产量,而对自催化乙醇处理后麦秆的酶解和半同步糖化发酵过程有一定程度的促进作用,相应的酶解葡聚糖转化率由72.7％提高到85.0％,而半同步糖化发酵过程中乙醇质量浓度提高了11.4％。物料衡算结果表明：酸催化和自催化乙醇预处理后葡聚糖回收率分别为91.0％和95.4％;半同步糖化发酵生产乙醇的得率分别为10.4和11.6 g（按100 g原料计）。     

Comparisons of five Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains for ethanol production from SPORL‐pretreated lodgepole pine

The performances of five yeast strains under three levels of toxicity were evaluated using hydrolysates from lodgepole pine pretreated by Sulfite Pretreatment to Overcome the Recalcitrance of Lignocelluloses (SPORL). The highest level of toxicity was represented by the whole pretreated biomass slurry, while intermediate toxicity was represented by the hydrolysate with partial loading of pretreatment spent liquor. The zero toxicity was represented using the enzymatic hydrolysate produced from thoroughly washed SPORL lodgepole pine solids. The results indicate that strains D5A and YRH400 can tolerate the whole pretreated biomass slurry to produce 90.1 and 73.5% theoretical ethanol yield. Strains Y1528, YRH403, and FPL450 did not grow in whole hydrolysate cultures and were observed to have lower ethanol productivities than D5A and YRH400 on the hydrolysate with intermediate toxicity. Both YRH400 and YRH403 were genetically engineered for xylose fermentation but were not able to consume xylose efficiently in hydrolysate. © 2014 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 30:1076–1083, 2014     

Cryptococcus curvatus O3酵母菌培养及产油脂特性

生物柴油的发展, 导致全球油脂供求紧张。微生物油脂的甘三酯组成与植物油类似, 发展微生物油脂可部分缓解植物油脂供应压力。本文研究了Cryptococcus curvatus O3酵母利用葡萄糖为碳源生长和积累油脂的特性。Cryptococcus curvatus O3酵母在培养过程中能适应间歇式碳源流加方式达到高密度培养的目的, 但在相同培养条件下, 不同氮源能影响其代谢过程中糖到油脂转化的脂肪系数。Cryptococcus curvatus O3酵母利用葡萄糖作为碳源在30°C下摇瓶发酵, 菌体生物量为51.8 g/L, 油脂含量达65.1%。脂肪酸组成分析结果表明, 菌油富含饱和及低度不饱和长链脂肪酸, 其中饱和脂肪酸之和占总脂肪酸组成的64%左右, 其脂肪酸组成类似于可可脂, 这些结果对于利用产油微生物转化生物质获取如类可可脂等具有高附加值油脂的研究具有重要意义。     

Butanol production by Clostridium beijerinckii. Part I: use of acid and enzyme hydrolyzed corn fiber

Fermentation of sulfuric acid treated corn fiber hydrolysate (SACFH) inhibited cell growth and butanol production (1.7 ± 0.2 g/L acetone butanol ethanol or ABE) by Clostridium beijerinckii BA101. Treatment of SACFH with XAD-4 resin removed some of the inhibitors resulting in the production of 9.3 ± 0.5 g/L ABE and a yield of 0.39 ± 0.015. Fermentation of enzyme treated corn fiber hydrolysate (ETCFH) did not reveal any cell inhibition and resulted in the production of 8.6 ± 1.0 g/L ABE and used 24.6 g/L total sugars. ABE production from fermentation of 25 g/L glucose and 25 g/L xylose was 9.9 ± 0.4 and 9.6 ± 0.4 g/L, respectively, suggesting that the culture was able to utilize xylose as efficiently as glucose. Production of only 9.3 ± 0.5 g/L ABE (compared with 17.7 g/L ABE from fermentation of 55 g/L glucose-control) from the XAD-4 treated SACFH suggested that some fermentation inhibitors may still be present following treatment. It is suggested that inhibitory components be completely removed from the SACFH prior to fermentation with C. beijerinckii BA101. In our fermentations, an ABE yield ranging from 0.35 to 0.39 was obtained, which is higher than reported by the other investigators.     

Fractal kinetic analysis of the enzymatic saccharification of CO2 laser pretreated corn stover

The enzymatic hydrolyses of laser pretreated corn stover as a novel pretreatment method were examined to establish a simplified kinetic model for the complicated hydrolysis process. The time dependence of the total reducing sugars amount was closely related to the amounts of cellulosic materials and amounts of cellulase. The evaluated model fitted very well with the experimental data of enzymatic hydrolysis of laser pretreated corn stover under different conditions, including cellulase loading, nature of substrate, substrate loading in the reaction medium. The results indicated that the complex kinetics of cellulase enzymatic saccharification could be assessed with the fractal kinetic model. The cellulase enzymatic reaction process was effectively predicted and controlled with the kinetic model. The result showed that the model could effectively reflect dynamic process of enzyme hydrolysis.     

油脂酵母发酵木糖生产微生物油脂

目的用斯达油脂酵母(Lipomyces starkeyi)作为发酵菌株,以纯木糖溶液为油脂发酵原料,对L.starkeyi利用木糖积累油脂进行系统研究。方法 L.starkeyi于斜面培养基中活化后,接种于YPD液体培养基,于30℃、200 r/min摇床培养。在摇瓶中培养一段时间后,测定发酵液细胞浓度,离心发酵液收集细胞。将离心后得到的菌体加入木糖溶液重悬,并转接于含50 mL木糖溶液的250 mL摇瓶中进行发酵生产。结果相比一阶段法,两阶段发酵方法可以在更短的时间内达到较高的油脂含量,油脂含量能够达到细胞自身干重的60%以上。实验发现高菌龄酵母产油速度更快;并且初始木糖浓度高达120 g/L时,酵母细胞仍然能够高效合成油脂。结论 L.starkeyi能够有效利用木糖进行发酵产生油脂,是以木质纤维素为原料生产微生物油脂的优良菌种。     

圆红冬孢酵母两阶段培养法生产微生物油脂

为缩短发酵时间,减少原料消耗,采用细胞增殖和油脂积累分离的两阶段模式,培养圆红冬孢酵母Rhodosporidium toruloides AS 2.1389生产微生物油脂。结果表明,细胞增殖阶段获得的R.toruloides AS 2.1389细胞,重悬接种在葡萄糖溶液中,可快速积累油脂,菌体油脂含量超过自身干重的55%。增殖阶段细胞的菌龄越高,产油能力越强。油脂积累阶段使用高浓度葡萄糖溶液或未灭菌的葡萄糖溶液,油脂合成可以有效进行。油脂中脂肪酸成分以含16和18个碳原子的长链脂肪酸为主,可作为制备生物柴油的新型原料。     

Dilute-acid pretreatment of distillers’ grains and corn fiber

Distillers’ grains and corn fiber are the coproducts of the dry grind and wet corn milling industries, respectively. Availability of distillers’ grains and corn fiber at the ethanol plant and their high levels of lignocellulosic material make them attractive feedstock for conversion to ethanol. In this study, dilute sulfuric acid hydrolysis for the conversion of distillers’ grains and corn fiber to monomeric sugars and the formation of furfural were investigated. The extent of solubilization of biomass beyond monomeric sugars was also monitored. Biomass loadings in the range of 5–20 wt.% at 5% intervals, acid concentrations in the range of 0.5–1.5 vol.% at 0.5% intervals, and temperatures of 120 and 140 °C were studied. The highest yields of monomeric sugars were observed when the least amount of biomass loading was pretreated with the highest concentration of sulfuric acid and when the temperature was 140 °C. For the majority of the cases under consideration, the most effective period of hydrolysis appeared to be during the initial 20–30 min of the reaction. Formation of furfural during the course of hydrolysis was significantly lower at 120 °C and also lower for the distillers’ grains samples compared with the corn fiber samples. The total amount of the solubilized matter during the hydrolysis was significantly higher than the amount of the monomeric sugars. Analyses according to standard procedure were performed to quantify moisture, oil, carbohydrates, and ash in distillers’ grains and corn fiber samples. The total carbohydrate content of distillers’ grains and corn fiber were 57.7 ± 2.0 and 77.0 ± 1.0 wt.%, respectively. The presented results will provide a foundation for the suitability of the pretreated distillers’ grains and corn fiber for enzymatic hydrolysis step.     

Enzymatic hydrolysis of sugarcane bagasse and straw mixtures pretreated with diluted acid

Abstract

In Brazil, sugarcane biomass is generated in large amounts. Sugarcane bagasse and straw are considered as an important feedstock for renewable energy and biorefinery. This paper aims to study the generation of monosaccharides (C5 and C6) from sugarcane biomass via processing bagasse or straw and mixtures of both materials (bagasse:straw 3:1, 1:1 and 1:3). Samples were pretreated with sulfuric acid which resulted in approximately 90% of hemicellulose solubilization, corresponding to around 58 g L^{? 1} of xylose. Pretreated straw showed greater susceptibility to enzymatic hydrolysis in comparison to bagasse, as shown by glucose yields of 76% and 65%, respectively, whereas the mixtures showed intermediate yields. Thus, one strategy to balance sugarcane biomass availability and possibly increasing 2G ethanol production would be to use bagasse–straw mixtures in appropriate ratios according to market fluctuations. Untreated and pretreated samples were analyzed using X-ray diffraction, but there was no relationship to enzymatic hydrolysis.     

稀碱预处理棕榈残渣制备纤维乙醇

以棕榈残渣(Empty fruit bunch,EFB)为原料,通过预处理、酶解、发酵等过程制备纤维乙醇.首先对比了碱、碱/过氧化氢等预处理条件对棕榈残渣组成及酶解的影响,结果表明稀碱预处理效果较好.适宜的稀碱预处理条件为:NaOH浓度为1％,固液比为1∶10,在40℃浸泡24 h后于121℃下保温30 min,在该条件下,EFB的固体回收率为74.09％,纤维素、半纤维素和木质素的含量分别为44.08％、25.74％和13.89％.对该条件下预处理后的固体样品,以底物浓度5％、酶载量30 FPU/g底物酶解72 h,纤维素和半纤维素的酶解率分别达到84.44％和89.28％.进一步考察了酶载量和底物浓度对酶解的影响以及乙醇批式同步糖化发酵,当酶载量为30 FPU/g底物,底物浓度由5％增加至25％时,利用酿酒酵母Saccharomyces cerevisiae(接种量为5％,VIV)发酵72 h后乙醇的浓度分别为9.76 g/L和35.25 g/L,可分别达到理论得率的79.09％和56.96％.     

Lactic acid production from pretreated corn stover with recycled streams

In order to overcome bottlenecks of the high amount of cellulase consumption in lignocellulosic l-Lactic acid (LA) production, a non-sterilized fed-batch simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) -membrane separation integration process was established in this current work. During the process, residual cellulase that remaining in the waste aqueous solution and solid residuals of corn stover (CS) were recycled and reused in subsequent fermentations. A total 6 rounds of operation were performed. Averagely, LA yield of 0.389 g g⁻¹ (pretreated CS) was achieved, which was 1.20 times higher than that of the conventional process without waste stream recycling. Moreover, the wastewater discharge and the cost of nutrients for fermentation can also hugely decrease. Results indicated that cellulase, wastewater discharge and nutrients consumption of the process reduced by 47.4 %, 73.7 % and 86.1 %, respectively. This study opens a promising way for the reduction of second-generation LA production cost, which could significantly change the economic feasibility of the LA biorefineries.     

稀酸和稀碱预处理对四种不同生物质资源制备还原糖的影响

本论文探讨了不同浓度的稀H_2SO_4和稀NaOH预处理对大豆秸秆、水稻秸秆、象草和狼尾草四种不同生物质酶解制备还原糖的影响。结果表明,大豆秸秆、水稻秸秆、象草和狼尾草具有较高的纤维素和半纤维素含量,是制备还原糖的理想原料。与稀H_2SO_4预处理相比,经稀NaOH预处理后的样品表现出较好的酶解性能。通过使用4%的NaOH对大豆秸秆和狼尾草进行预处理,还原糖产量分别为145.8 mg/mL和319.2 mg/mL。此外,以1%NaOH预处理后的水稻秸秆和象草为原料,可以分别获得385.2 mg/mL和231.6 mg/mL还原糖产量。     

Key technologies for bioethanol production from lignocellulose

Controversies on bioethanol produced from straw mainly revolve around the unfitted economical feasibility and environmental concerns of the process, which attribute mainly to unilateral researches from own specialties of each scholar without regard to the characteristics of the straws themselves. To achieve an economical and environmentally-friendly system of bioethanol production from straw, a number of breakthroughs are needed, not only in individual process steps, but also in the balance and combination of these processes. This article gives an overview of the new technologies required and the advances achieved in recent years, especial progresses achieved in our group, based on the concept of fractional conversions. An eco-industrial multi-production pattern is established, by which the maximum efficacy and benefit of process can be achieved due to the production of many high-value co-products simultaneously with ethanol. We believed that, in the future, the bioethanol production from straw will be competitive economically and environmentally.     

Effect of enzyme supplementation at moderate cellulase loadings on initial glucose and xylose release from corn stover solids pretreated by leading technologies

Moderate loadings of cellulase enzyme supplemented with beta-glucosidase were applied to solids produced by ammonia fiber expansion (AFEX), ammonia recycle (ARP), controlled pH, dilute sulfuric acid, lime, and sulfur dioxide pretreatments to better understand factors that control glucose and xylose release following 24, 48, and 72 h of hydrolysis and define promising routes to reducing enzyme demands. Glucose removal was higher from all pretreatments than from Avicel cellulose at lower enzyme loadings, but sugar release was a bit lower for solids prepared by dilute sulfuric acid in the Sunds system and by controlled pH pretreatment than from Avicel at higher protein loadings. Inhibition by cellobiose was observed to depend on the type of substrate and pretreatment and hydrolysis times, with a corresponding impact of beta-glucosidase supplementation. Furthermore, for the first time, xylobiose and higher xylooligomers were shown to inhibit enzymatic hydrolysis of pure glucan, pure xylan, and pretreated corn stover, and xylose, xylobiose, and xylotriose were shown to have progressively greater effects on hydrolysis rates. Consistent with this, addition of xylanase and beta-xylosidase improved performance significantly. For a combined mass loading of cellulase and beta-glucosidase of 16.1 mg/g original glucan (about 7.5 FPU/g), glucose release from pretreated solids ranged from 50% to75% of the theoretical maximum and was greater for all pretreatments at all protein loadings compared to pure Avicel cellulose except for solids from controlled pH pretreatment and from dilute acid pretreatment by the Sunds pilot unit. The fraction of xylose released from pretreated solids was always less than for glucose, with the upper limit being about 60% of the maximum for ARP and the Sunds dilute acid pretreatments at a very high protein mass loading of 116 mg/g glucan (about 60 FPU).     

预处理苎麻秆和红麻秆糖化发酵生产燃料乙醇

苎麻和红麻是我国传统纤维作物,皮部纤维在造纸、纺织等工业具有广泛用途,但剥皮后剩余的茎秆部分并没有被有效利用。由于其中含有较多纤维素,可望被生物转化生产燃料乙醇。比较了几种不同化学预处理方法对苎麻秆和红麻秆纤维素酶解性能的改善效果,进而选择碱法预处理后原料,进行半同步糖化发酵产乙醇实验。结果表明,苎麻秆和红麻秆经4%NaOH和0.02%蒽醌-2-磺酸钠盐(AQSS),在170℃下处理1 h,继而在固形物底物浓度18%时发酵168 h,发酵液中乙醇浓度达到51 g/L。采用少量多次补料至20%的底物浓度,乙醇浓度都能达到63 g/L,纤维素转化率分别为77%和79%。红麻秆经5.2%NaHSO3和0.2%H2SO4,在170℃下处理1 h,补料至20%的底物浓度时,乙醇浓度可达到65 g/L,纤维素转化率为72%。     

Enzymatic hydrolysis of chemithermomechanically pretreated sugarcane bagasse and samples with reduced initial lignin content

Chemithermomechanical (CTM) processing was used to pretreat sugarcane bagasse with the aim of increasing cell wall accessibility to hydrolytic enzymes. Yields of the pretreated samples were in the range of 75-94%. Disk refining and alkaline-CTM and alkaline/sulfite-CTM pretreatments yielded pretreated materials with 21.7, 17.8, and 15.3% of lignin, respectively. Hemicellulose content was also decreased to some extent. Fibers of the pretreated materials presented some external fibrillation, fiber curling, increased swelling, and high water retention capacity. Cellulose conversion of the alkaline-CTM- and alkaline/sulfite-CTM-pretreated samples reached 50 and 85%, respectively, after 96 h of enzymatic hydrolysis. Two samples with low initial lignin content were also evaluated after the mildest alkaline-CTM pretreatment. One sample was a partially delignified mill-processed bagasse. The other was a sugarcane hybrid selected in a breeding program. Samples with lower initial lignin content were hydrolyzed considerably faster in the first 24 h of enzymatic digestion. For example, enzymatic hydrolysis of the sample with the lowest initial lignin content (14.2%) reached 64% cellulose conversion after only 24 h of hydrolysis when compared with the 30% observed for the mill-processed bagasse containing an initial lignin content of 24.4%.     

Continuous SSCF of AFEX™ pretreated corn stover for enhanced ethanol productivity using commercial enzymes and Saccharomyces cerevisiae 424A (LNH‐ST)

High productivity processes are critical for commercial production of cellulosic ethanol. One high productivity process—continuous hydrolysis and fermentation—has been applied in corn ethanol industry. However, little research related to this process has been conducted on cellulosic ethanol production. Here, we report and compare the kinetics of both batch SHF (separate hydrolysis and co‐fermentation) and SSCF (simultaneous saccharification and co‐fermentation) of AFEX? (Ammonia Fiber Expansion) pretreated corn stover (AFEX?‐CS). Subsequently, we designed a SSCF process to evaluate continuous hydrolysis and fermentation performance on AFEX?‐CS in a series of continuous stirred tank reactors (CSTRs). Based on similar sugar to ethanol conversions (around 80% glucose‐to‐ethanol conversion and 47% xylose‐to‐ethanol conversion), the overall process ethanol productivity for continuous SSCF was 2.3‐ and 1.8‐fold higher than batch SHF and SSCF, respectively. Slow xylose fermentation and high concentrations of xylose oligomers were the major factors limiting further enhancement of productivity. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2013; 110: 1302–1311. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Comparisons of SPORL and dilute acid pretreatments for sugar and ethanol productions from aspen

This study reports comparative evaluations of sugar and ethanol production from a native aspen (Populus tremuloides) between sulfite pretreatment to overcome recalcitrance of lignocellulose (SPORL) and dilute acid (DA) pretreatments. All aqueous pretreatments were carried out in a laboratory wood pulping digester using wood chips at 170°C with a liquid to oven dry (od) wood ratio (L/W) of 3:1 at two levels of acid charge on wood of 0.56 and 1.11%. Sodium bisulfite charge on od wood was 0 for DA and 1.5 or 3.0% for SPORL. All substrates produced by both pretreatments (except DA with pretreatment duration of 0) had good enzymatic digestibility of over 80%. However, SPORL produced higher enzymatic digestibility than its corresponding DA pretreatment for all the experiments conducted. As a result, SPORL produced higher ethanol yield from simultaneous saccharification and fermentation of cellulosic substrate than its corresponding DA pretreatment. SPORL was more effective than its corresponding DA pretreatment in reducing energy consumption for postpretreatment wood chip size-reduction. SPORL, with lower energy input and higher sugar and ethanol yield, produced higher sugar and ethanol production energy efficiencies than the corresponding DA pretreatment.