title: Dry pretreatment of lignocellulose with extremely low steam and water usage for bioethanol production.
abstract: Two rarely noticed but important parameters of the dilute sulfuric acid pretreatment of lignocellulose biomass, the feedstock filling ratio to the pretreatment reactor and the solids/liquid presoaking ratio, were extensively studied. The effects of the two parameters on the steam consumption, waste water generation, and pretreatment efficiency were investigated. At the full filling ratio and high solids/liquid presoaking ratio, this "dry" pretreatment method provided at least the following advantages: (1) the steam consumption was significantly reduced; (2) no aqueous acid containing waste water was generated; (3) high solids content of the pretreated materials were obtained and the consequent saccharification and fermentation was carried out at high solids loading easily. This method was applied to various lignocellulose feedstocks successfully and provided a practical means to produce ethanol economically feasible.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, China.
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xiusheng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Deqiang
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.forename: Yanqing
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bao
mesh_terms: D056804:Biofuels / Q000032:analysis*; D019149:Bioreactors; D001709:Biotechnology / Q000379:methods*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000032:analysis*; D005285:Fermentation; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D006868:Hydrolysis; D008031:Lignin / Q000737:chemistry*; D013227:Steam; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry*; D014994:Xylose / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D056804:Biofuels; D013227:Steam; D014867:Water; C036909:lignocellulose; D000431:Ethanol; D008031:Lignin; D014994:Xylose; D005947:Glucose