title: Evaluation of a pilot-scaled paddle dryer for the production of ethanol from lignocellulose including inhibitor removal and high-solids enzymatic hydrolysis.
abstract: The advantage of using paddle dryers (PD) in the production of sugars and 2nd generation ethanol from pretreated wheat straw was investigated. This machinery was employed in order to detoxify steam-exploded substrates and to mix different slurries in the hydrolysis step. The obtained hydrolysate was fermented by the yeastSaccharomyces cerevisiae. Acetic acid and furfural were reduced up to 11 and 26 fold respectively in the detoxified substrate. When fermentation was carried out at low solid suspension, the use of PD was as effective as water extraction in detoxifying exploded biomass, giving ethanol yields of 90% at 0.05 solid/liquid ratio (S/L) and 80% at 0.10 S/L. Moreover, by using PD the cellulose conversion yield was significantly improved in the hydrolysis step: when operating at higher S/L (0.4), the hydrolysis efficiency was twice the one achieved by using a bioreactor with a Rushton stirrer.
authors.affiliation: Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA), Trisaia Research Centre, S.S. 106 Jonica, km 419 + 500, 75026 Rotondella, MT, Italy.
authors.forename: Egidio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Viola
authors.affiliation: Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA), Trisaia Research Centre, S.S. 106 Jonica, km 419 + 500, 75026 Rotondella, MT, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Arcieri
authors.affiliation: Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA), Trisaia Research Centre, S.S. 106 Jonica, km 419 + 500, 75026 Rotondella, MT, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zimbardi
authors.affiliation: Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA), Trisaia Research Centre, S.S. 106 Jonica, km 419 + 500, 75026 Rotondella, MT, Italy.
authors.forename: Vito
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Valerio
authors.affiliation: Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA), Trisaia Research Centre, S.S. 106 Jonica, km 419 + 500, 75026 Rotondella, MT, Italy; University of Naples Federico II, Department of Chemical Engineering, Materials and Industrial Production, P.le Tecchio, 80125 Napoli, Italy.
authors.forename: Nadia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Cerone
authors.affiliation: Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA), Territorial Office of Bari-Uni. Versus Consortium, Viale Japigia 188, Bari 70126, Italy.
authors.forename: Ugo De
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Corato
keywords: Bioethanol; Detoxification; Hydrolysis; Paddle dryer; Pilot plant study