100629 Bioprocess Optimization in Leading Cellulosic Feedstocks Miscanthus and Switchgrass for Bioethanol Production.

Poster Number 154-1103

See more from this Division: ASA Section: Agronomic Production Systems
See more from this Session: General Bioenergy Systems Poster

Monday, November 7, 2016
Phoenix Convention Center North, Exhibit Hall CDE

Victor Njiti1, Ananda Nanjundaswamy2, Victor Njiti3, Girish Kumar Panicker4 and Franklin Chukwuma2, (1)Alcorn State University, Alcorn State, MS
(2)Alcorn State University, Lorman, MS
(3)Agriculture, Alcorn State University, Lorman, MS
(4)Department of Agriculture, Alcorn State University, Lorman, MS
Abstract:
With the mandate of 36 billion gallons of ethanol production by 2030 set by Renewable Fuel Standard Association (RFA) and Energy Independence Security Act (EISA), US it is important to investigate ethanol production from cellulosic energy crops. While corn ethanol production has achieved commercial limit of 15 billion gallons, the remaining deficit of 21 billion gallons of ethanol from cellulosic biomass is still in its infancy. Cellulosic Ethanol production is influenced by several factors, which include feedstock loading and enzymes loading. Increasing enzyme loading for saccharification can be quite expensive. Saccharificaion is critical to the success of cellulosic biofuel production, which determines primarily the amount of sugar released. Miscanthus giganteus and switchgrass (Panicum virigatum) are used for biofuel production. The objectives of this study were to 1) determine the optimal substrate loading and 2) enzyme loading for maximum ethanol production. Study utilized commercial Miscanthus var. Freedom and four commercial switchgrass varieties; fermentation and saccharification optimization using response surface methodology (RSM) were investigated. The preliminary results indicated that the best enzyme and substrate loading were 20 and 10 percent respectively for both feedstocks.

Abstracts:

See more from this Division: ASA Section: Agronomic Production Systems
See more from this Session: General Bioenergy Systems Poster