UNIT 2

Sure, I'll provide a more detailed and elaborated explanation of each topic in your syllabus.

### 1. Bioethanol from Biomass

Bioethanol is a renewable fuel made from various types of biomass. Biomass can be classified into
three main categories: molasses, starchy biomass, and lignocellulosic biomass. Each type of biomass
requires specific processes for the production of ethanol.

#### A. Production of Ethanol from Molasses

**Molasses:** Molasses is a thick, dark syrup that remains after the extraction of sugar from
sugarcane or sugar beets. It contains a high concentration of fermentable sugars, making it a suitable
feedstock for ethanol production.

**Steps in Production of Ethanol from Molasses:**

1. **Preparation:**

- Molasses is first diluted with water to make it less viscous and easier to handle during the
fermentation process.

- This dilution also ensures that the sugar concentration is optimal for yeast activity.

2. **Fermentation:**

- **Fermentation Tanks:** The diluted molasses is transferred to fermentation tanks, where yeast
is added. Common yeast strains used are Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

- **Yeast Activity:** Yeast consumes the sugars (mainly sucrose, glucose, and fructose) present in
the molasses and converts them into ethanol and carbon dioxide.

- **Conditions:** The process typically occurs at a temperature range of 30-35°C (86-95°F) and a
pH of around 4.5 to 5.5.

- **Duration:** The fermentation process usually lasts for about 24-72 hours, depending on the
yeast strain and conditions.

3. **Distillation:**
 - **Fermented Mixture:** The resulting mixture, called "fermented mash," contains about 7-12%
ethanol, along with water and other byproducts.

- **Distillation Columns:** The fermented mash is heated in distillation columns. Since ethanol has
a lower boiling point (78.37°C or 173.07°F) than water, it vaporizes first.

- **Condensation:** The ethanol vapor is then collected and condensed back into liquid form. This
process is repeated to increase the ethanol concentration.

4. **Dehydration:**

- **Azeotropic Mixture:** The distilled ethanol usually contains about 95-96% ethanol and 4-5%
water, forming an azeotropic mixture.

- **Dehydration Methods:**

- **Molecular Sieves:** Use materials with tiny pores that selectively absorb water molecules.

- **Azeotropic Distillation:** Adding another component (like benzene) to break the azeotrope
and separate the ethanol and water.

- **Anhydrous Ethanol:** The final product is anhydrous ethanol (99.5-99.9% purity), suitable for
use as fuel.

#### B. Bioethanol from Starchy Biomass

**Starchy Biomass:** Includes crops like corn, wheat, barley, and potatoes, which have high starch
content. Starch is a polysaccharide made up of glucose units.

**Steps in Production of Ethanol from Starchy Biomass:**

1. **Production of Starch Saccharifying Enzymes:**

- **Enzymes:** Biological catalysts that accelerate chemical reactions.

- **Microorganisms:** Enzymes such as alpha-amylase and glucoamylase are produced by

2. **Hydrolysis:**

- **Liquefaction:**

- The starchy biomass is ground into a fine powder and mixed with water to form a slurry.
 - **Alpha-Amylase:** Added to the slurry and heated to 80-90°C (176-194°F) to break down the
starch into shorter chains of glucose (dextrins).

- **Saccharification:**

- **Glucoamylase:** Added to further hydrolyze dextrins into glucose at a lower temperature (50-
60°C or 122-140°F).

- **Duration:** This process can take several hours to complete.

3. **Fermentation:**

- **Glucose Solution:** The resulting glucose-rich solution is cooled and transferred to

- **Yeast:** Saccharomyces cerevisiae or other suitable yeast strains are added to ferment the
glucose into ethanol and carbon dioxide.

- **Conditions:** The fermentation is carried out at optimal conditions similar to those for
molasses fermentation (30-35°C, pH 4.5-5.5).

4. **Distillation and Dehydration:**

- **Distillation:** The fermented mixture is distilled to separate ethanol from water and other
impurities, similar to the process for molasses.

- **Dehydration:** The ethanol is further purified to obtain anhydrous ethanol using molecular
sieves or azeotropic distillation.

#### C. Bioethanol from Lignocellulosic Biomass

**Lignocellulosic Biomass:** Consists of agricultural residues (e.g., straw, corn stover), forestry
residues (e.g., wood chips), and dedicated energy crops (e.g., switchgrass). It is composed of
cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin.

**Steps in Production of Ethanol from Lignocellulosic Biomass:**

1. **Pre-treatment:**

- **Objective:** To break down the complex structure of lignin and hemicellulose, making cellulose
more accessible for enzymatic hydrolysis.

- **Methods:**

- **Physical:** Mechanical comminution (milling or grinding) to reduce particle size.

- **Biological:** Use of microorganisms or enzymes to degrade lignin.

2. **Enzymatic Hydrolysis:**

- **Enzymes:** Cellulase and hemicellulase are used to hydrolyze cellulose and hemicellulose into
fermentable sugars.

- **Process:**

- **Cellulase:** Breaks down cellulose into cellobiose and then into glucose.

- **Hemicellulase:** Converts hemicellulose into various sugars like xylose, arabinose, and
mannose.

- **Conditions:** Typically performed at moderate temperatures (45-50°C or 113-122°F) and

3. **Fermentation:**

- **Mixed Sugars:** The hydrolysate contains a mixture of hexose (e.g., glucose) and pentose (e.g.,
xylose) sugars.

- **Microorganisms:**

- **Yeast:** Saccharomyces cerevisiae is often used for hexose fermentation.

- **Bacteria:** Genetically engineered bacteria or yeast strains capable of fermenting both

- **Conditions:** Similar to other fermentation processes, but may require specific conditions
tailored to the microorganisms used.

4. **Distillation and Dehydration:**

- **Distillation:** The fermented mixture is distilled to concentrate ethanol.

- **Dehydration:** The ethanol is further purified to remove water and obtain anhydrous ethanol.

### Summary of Key Processes

1. **Fermentation:** The biological process where microorganisms convert sugars into ethanol and
carbon dioxide.

2. **Distillation:** The physical process of separating ethanol from the fermentation mixture based
on differences in boiling points.
3. **Hydrolysis:** The chemical breakdown of complex carbohydrates (starch or cellulose) into
simpler sugars.

4. **Pre-treatment:** Various methods used to prepare lignocellulosic biomass by breaking down its
complex structure.

### Visualization of the Processes

To aid in memorization, here are the steps visualized:

1. **Molasses to Ethanol:**

- Molasses → Dilution → Fermentation (yeast) → Ethanol + CO2

- Ethanol + Water → Distillation → Purified Ethanol

- Purified Ethanol + Water → Dehydration → Anhydrous Ethanol

2. **Starchy Biomass to Ethanol:**

- Starch (corn/wheat) → Grinding → Liquefaction (alpha-amylase) → Dextrins

- Dextrins → Saccharification (glucoamylase) → Glucose

- Glucose → Fermentation (yeast) → Ethanol + CO2

- Ethanol + Water → Distillation → Purified Ethanol

- Purified Ethanol + Water → Dehydration → Anhydrous Ethanol

3. **Lignocellulosic Biomass to Ethanol:**

- Biomass → Pre-treatment (physical/chemical/biological) → Treated Biomass

- Treated Biomass → Enzymatic Hydrolysis (cellulase/hemicellulase) → Sugars

- Sugars → Fermentation (microorganisms) → Ethanol + CO2

- Ethanol + Water → Distillation → Purified Ethanol

- Purified Ethanol + Water → Dehydration → Anhydrous Ethanol

By breaking down the processes into these steps and understanding the role of each component and
condition, you can have a comprehensive grasp of the bioethanol production methods from different
biomass sources.