title: Ethanol production from Eucalyptus plantation thinnings.
abstract: Conditions for optimal pretreatment of eucalypt (Eucalyptus dunnii) and spotted gum (Corymbia citriodora) forestry thinning residues for bioethanol production were empirically determined using a 3(3) factorial design. Up to 161mg/g xylose (93% theoretical) was achieved at moderate combined severity factors (CSF) of 1.0-1.6. At CSF>2.0, xylose levels declined, owing to degradation. Moreover at high CSF, depolymerisation of cellulose was evident and corresponded to glucose (155mg/g, ∼33% cellulose) recovery in prehydrolysate. Likewise, efficient saccharification with Cellic® CTec 2 cellulase correlated well with increasing process severity. The best condition yielded 74% of the theoretical conversion and was attained at the height of severity (CSF of 2.48). Saccharomyces cerevisiae efficiently fermented crude E. dunnii hydrolysate within 30h, yielding 18g/L ethanol, representing a glucose to ethanol conversion rate of 0.475g/g (92%). Based on our findings, eucalyptus forest thinnings represent a potential feedstock option for the emerging Australian biofuel industry.
authors.affiliation: NSW Department of Primary Industries, Wollongbar Primary Industries Institute, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: McIntosh
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Vancov
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Palmer
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Spain
mesh_terms: D002480:Cellulase / Q000378:metabolism; D002482:Cellulose / Q000378:metabolism; D000431:Ethanol / Q000378:metabolism*; D005052:Eucalyptus / Q000378:metabolism*; D005285:Fermentation; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000378:metabolism; D014994:Xylose / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol; D002482:Cellulose; D014994:Xylose; D002480:Cellulase