Valorization of sugar-to-ethanol process waste vinasse: A novel biorefinery approach using edible ascomycetes filamentous fungi.
The aim of the present work was to study the integration of edible ascomycetes filamentous fungi into the existing sugar- or molasses-to-ethanol processes, to grow on vinasse or stillage and produce ethanol and protein-rich fungal biomass. Two fungal strains, Neurospora intermedia and Aspergillus oryzae were examined in shake flasks and airlift-bioreactors, resulting in reduction of vinasse COD by 34% and viscosity by 21%. Utilization of glycerol and sugars were observed, yielding 202.4 or 222.8g dry fungal biomass of N. intermedia or A. oryzae respectively, per liter of vinasse. Integration of the current process at an existing ethanol facility producing about 100,000m3of ethanol per year could produce around 200,000-250,000tons of dry fungal biomass (40-45% protein) together with about 8800-12,600m3extra ethanol (8.8-12.6% of production-rate improvement).
Swedish Centre for Resource Recovery, University of Borås, SE 50190 Borås, Sweden. Electronic address: ramkumar.nair@hb.se.
Ramkumar B
RB
Nair
Swedish Centre for Resource Recovery, University of Borås, SE 50190 Borås, Sweden.
Mohammad J
MJ
Taherzadeh
D001203:Ascomycota / Q000378:metabolism; D018533:Biomass; D019149:Bioreactors / Q000382:microbiology*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000378:metabolism; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D012037:Refuse Disposal / Q000379:methods*; D031786:Saccharum / Q000737:chemistry*; D013402:Sugar Alcohols / Q000737:chemistry; D014835:Volatilization
D005656:Fungal Proteins; D013402:Sugar Alcohols; D000431:Ethanol
Ascomycetes; Bioethanol; Filamentous fungi; Integration; Vinasse