Multilevel composition fractionation process for high-value utilization of wheat straw cellulose

Sequential catalytic lignin valorization and bioethanol production: an integrated biorefinery strategy

BACKGROUND

The effective valorization of lignin and carbohydrates in lignocellulose matrix under the concept of biorefinery is a primary strategy to produce sustainable chemicals and fuels. Based on the reductive catalytic fractionation (RCF), lignin in lignocelluloses can be depolymerized into viscous oils, while the highly delignified pulps with high polysaccharides retention can be transformed into various chemicals.

RESULTS

A biorefinery paradigm for sequentially valorization of the main components in poplar sawdust was constructed. In this process, the well-defined low-molecular-weight phenols and bioethanol were co-generated by tandem chemo-catalysis in the RCF stage and bio-catalysis in fermentation stage. In the RCF stage, hydrogen transfer reactions were conducted in one-pot process using Raney Ni as catalyst, while the isopropanol (2-PrOH) in the initial liquor was served as a hydrogen donor and the solvent for lignin dissolution. Results indicated the proportion of the 2-PrOH in the initial liquor of RCF influenced the chemical constitution and yield of the lignin oil, which also affected the characteristics of the pulps and the following bioethanol production. A 67.48 ± 0.44% delignification with 20.65 ± 0.31% of monolignols yield were realized when the 2-PrOH:H2O ratio in initial liquor was 7:3 (6.67 wt% of the catalyst loading, 200 °C for 3 h). The RCF pulp had higher carbohydrates retention (57.96 ± 2.78 wt%), which was converted to 21.61 ± 0.62 g/L of bioethanol with a yield of 0.429 ± 0.010 g/g in fermentation using an engineered S. cerevisiae strain. Based on the mass balance analysis, 104.4 g of ethanol and 206.5 g of lignin oil can be produced from 1000 g of the raw poplar sawdust.

CONCLUSIONS

The main chemical components in poplar sawdust can be effectively transformed into lignin oil and bioethanol. The attractive results from the biorefinery process exhibit great promise for the production of valuable biofuels and chemicals from abundant lignocellulosic materials.

A Substantial Role of Agro-Textiles in Agricultural Applications

Agro-textiles have been used in the agriculture sector for thousands of years and are an attractive tool for the protection of crops during their entire lifecycle. Currently, the agro-textile market is dominated by polyolefins or petrochemical-based agro-textiles. However, climate change and an increase in greenhouse gas emissions have raised concern about the future oil-based economy, and petroleum-based agro-textiles have become expensive and less desirable in the modern world. Other products include agro-textiles based on natural fibers which degrade so fast in the environment that their recovery from the field becomes difficult and unattractive even by efficient recycling or combustion, and their lifetime is usually limited to 1 or a maximum of 2 years. Hence, the development of bio-based agro-textiles with a reduced impact on the environment and with extended durability is foreseen to initiate the growth in the bio-based economy. The world is gradually preparing the shift toward a bio-based economy, and research for sustainable bio-based alternatives has already been initiated. This review provides insight into the various agro-textiles used currently in agriculture and the research going on in the area of agro-textiles to offer alternative solutions to the current agro-textile market.

Production of Cellulosic Ethanol from Enzymatically Hydrolysed Wheat Straws

The aim of this study is to find the optimal pretreatment conditions and hydrolysis in order to obtain a high yield of bioethanol from wheat straw. The pretreatments were performed with different concentrations of sulphuric acid 1, 2 and 3% (v/v), and were followed by an enzymatic hydrolysis that was performed by varying the solid-to-liquid ratio (1/20, 1/25 and 1/30 g/mL) and the enzyme dose (30/30 µL/g, 60/60 µL/g and 90/90 µL/g Viscozyme® L/Celluclast® 1.5 L). This mix of enzymes was used for the first time in the hydrolysis process of wheat straws which was previously pretreated with dilute sulfuric acid. Scanning electron microscopy indicated significant differences in the structural composition of the samples because of the pretreatment with H2SO4 at different concentrations, and ATR-FTIR analysis highlighted the changes in the chemical composition in the pretreated wheat straw as compared to the untreated one. HPLC-RID was used to identify and quantify the carbohydrates content resulted from enzymatic hydrolysis to evaluate the potential of using wheat straws as a raw material for production of cellulosic ethanol in Romania. The highest degradation of lignocellulosic material was obtained in the case of pretreatment with 3% H2SO4 (v/v), a solid-to-liquid ratio of 1/30 and an enzyme dose of 90/90 µL/g. Simultaneous saccharification and fermentation were performed using Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast, and for monitoring the fermentation process a BlueSens equipment was used provided with ethanol, O2 and CO2 cap sensors mounted on the fermentation flasks. The highest concentration of bioethanol was obtained after 48 h of fermentation and it reached 1.20% (v/v).

Genotypic effects on sugar and by-products of liquid hydrolysates and on saccharification of acid-insoluble residues from wheat straw

Wheat straw is one of the major attractive resources for low-cost raw materials for renewable energy, biofuels and biochemicals. However, like other sources of lignocellulosic biomass, straw is a heterogeneous material due to its mixed origin from different tissue and cell types. Here, to examine the genotypic effects on biorefinery usage of wheat straw, straw obtained from different wheat cultivars and experimental lines was pretreated with dilute acid. Significant differences between cultivars were observed in the concentrations of glucose and toxic by-products of the liquid hydrolysates. A higher content of xylose than glucose was found in liquid hydrolysates from wheat straw, and the xylose content appeared to be affected by both environmental and genetic factors. Analysis using chromosome substitution lines of the common wheat cultivar Chinese Spring showed that chromosomes 2A and 3A from other wheat cultivars, Hope and Timstein, significantly increased the xylose content. However, no significant relationship was observed between the liquid hydrolysate xylose content and the glucose content obtained from enzymatic saccharification of the acid-insoluble residue. These results highlight the potential of wheat breeding to improve biomass-related traits in wheat straw.

Combinatorial pretreatment and fermentation optimization enabled a record yield on lignin bioconversion

BACKGROUND

Lignin valorization has recently been considered to be an essential process for sustainable and cost-effective biorefineries. Lignin represents a potential new feedstock for value-added products. Oleaginous bacteria such as Rhodococcus opacus can produce intracellular lipids from biodegradation of aromatic substrates. These lipids can be used for biofuel production, which can potentially replace petroleum-derived chemicals. However, the low reactivity of lignin produced from pretreatment and the underdeveloped fermentation technology hindered lignin bioconversion to lipids. In this study, combinatorial pretreatment with an optimized fermentation strategy was evaluated to improve lignin valorization into lipids using R. opacus PD630.

RESULTS

As opposed to single pretreatment, combinatorial pretreatment produced a 12.8-75.6% higher lipid concentration in fermentation using lignin as the carbon source. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis showed that combinatorial pretreatment released more aromatic monomers, which could be more readily utilized by lignin-degrading strains. Three detoxification strategies were used to remove potential inhibitors produced from pretreatment. After heating detoxification of the lignin stream, the lipid concentration further increased by 2.9-9.7%. Different fermentation strategies were evaluated in scale-up lipid fermentation using a 2.0-l fermenter. With laccase treatment of the lignin stream produced from combinatorial pretreatment, the highest cell dry weight and lipid concentration were 10.1 and 1.83 g/l, respectively, in fed-batch fermentation, with a total soluble substrate concentration of 40 g/l. The improvement of the lipid fermentation performance may have resulted from lignin depolymerization by the combinatorial pretreatment and laccase treatment, reduced inhibition effects by fed-batch fermentation, adequate oxygen supply, and an accurate pH control in the fermenter.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, these results demonstrate that combinatorial pretreatment, together with fermentation optimization, favorably improves lipid production using lignin as the carbon source. Combinatorial pretreatment integrated with fed-batch fermentation was an effective strategy to improve the bioconversion of lignin into lipids, thus facilitating lignin valorization in biorefineries.

Enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass from low to high solids loading

Solid state enzymatic hydrolysis (SSEH) has many advantages, such as higher sugar concentration, lower operating costs, and less energy input. It should be a potential approach for the industrial application of lignocellulosic ethanol. The purpose of this work is to review the enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass from low to high solids loading and introduce its both challenges and perspectives. The limitations of SSEH, including inhibition effects, water constraint, and rheology characteristic, are summarized firstly. Various strategies for overcoming these limitations are proposed correspondingly. Fed batch process and its feeding strategy to improve the SSEH efficiency are then discussed. Finally, several intensification methods, hydrolysis reactor, and pilot- and demonstration-scale operations of SSEH are described. In-depth analysis of main limitations and development of novel intensification methods and reactors should provide an effective way to achieve large-scale implementation of SSEH.

Steam pretreatment of Saccharum officinarum L. bagasse by adding of impregnating agents for advanced bioethanol production

The main byproduct of the sugarcane industry, Saccharum officinarum L. bagasse (sugarcane bagasse, SCB), is widely used as lignocellulose biomass for bio-ethanol (EtOH) production. In this research study, SCB was pretreated by steam explosion (SE) method using two different impregnating agents: sulfur dioxide (SD) and hydrogen peroxide (HP). As matter of fact, the use of impregnating agents improves the performance of SE method, increasing the concentrations of fermentable sugars after enzymatic saccharification, and decreasing the inhibitor compounds produced during the steam pretreatment step. The aim of this study was to investigate and compare the use of the two impregnating agents in various SE-conditions in order to optimize pretreatment parameters. For every pretreatment condition, it has been evaluated: concentration of fermentable sugars, glucose and xylose yields, and the effects of the inhibitor compounds on enzymatic hydrolysis step. The obtained results allow to improve the efficiency of the whole process of bio-EtOH synthesis enhancing the amount of fermentable sugars produced and the eco-sustainability of the whole process. Indeed, the optimization of steam pretreatment leads to a reduction of energy requirements and to a lower environmental impact.

Simultaneous saccharification and co-fermentation for improving the xylose utilization of steam exploded corn stover at high solid loading

Simultaneous saccharification and co-fermentation (SSCF) of steam exploded corn stover (SECS) was investigated at 5-25% solid loadings compared with other conversion processes. SECS was washed with a 15-fold excess of deionized water to remove inhibitors of hydrolysis and fermentation. The concentration, yield, and productivity of ethanol was 34.3g/L, 90.0%, 2.61g/L/h in the co-fermentation of 60g/L glucose and 10g/L xylose by Saccharomyces cerevisiae IPE003. Ethanol concentration and productivity increased with increasing solid loading while ethanol yield decreased in all conversion processes of SECS. Glucan and xylan conversion was 82.0% and 82.1% in SSCF at 20% solid loading, respectively, while the concentration, yield and productivity of ethanol was 60.8g/L, 75.3% and 0.63g/L/h. The feeding strategy of SECS addition within 24h improved the SSCF performance. Therefore, SSCF increased ethanol productivity and was an effective conversion process for ethanol production at high solid loading.

Effects of water states on steam explosion of lignocellulosic biomass

The work aimed to identify the complexity and roles of water states in steam explosion process of corn stalk to enhance the treatment efficiency. Results showed that two main water states with different mobility existed in corn stalk and influenced steam explosion treatment. By correlating dynamic water states data to feedstock mechanical properties and treatment process characteristics, the bound water being the excellent plasticizer that reduced the mechanical strength of fibers by over 30%, was conducive to treatment; while, the free water presenting buffering effects in treatment by hindering heat transfer which was reflected by the increase of temperature rising time by 1.29 folds and steam consumption by 2.18 folds, was not conducive. The distinguished point of these two waters was fiber saturated point. By considering treatment efficacy and energy consumption, the significance of fiber saturated point was highlighted as the optimal water states for steam explosion of corn stalk.

Xylose production from corn stover biomass by steam explosion combined with enzymatic digestibility

A novel conversion process using steam explosion combined with enzymatic digestibility was exploited to increase sugar yield. Results showed that glucan and xylan recovery decreased with the increase of holding temperature and residence time in SE, respectively, while glucan and xylan conversion exhibited an opposite trend. The optimal conditions of steam explosion were 160 °C and 48 min, under which glucan and xylan recovery was 93.4% and 71.6%, respectively. Glucan and xylan conversion at 18% solid loading by periodic peristalsis increased by 3.4-5.8% and 4.5-6.2%, respectively, compared with that by water baths shaker. In the whole process, glucose, xylose and total sugar yield reached to 77.3%, 62.8% and 72.3%, respectively. The yield of hydroxymethyl furfural, furfural and lignin-derived products was 6.3 × 10(-2), 7.5 × 10(-2) and less than 3.7 × 10(-2) g/100 g feedstock, respectively. This novel conversion process increased sugar recovery, reduced degradation products formation, improved digestibility efficiency, and hence increased sugar yield.

Characterization of hemicellulase and cellulase from the extremely thermophilic bacterium Caldicellulosiruptor owensensis and their potential application for bioconversion of lignocellulosic biomass without pretreatment

BACKGROUND

Pretreatment is currently the common approach for improving the efficiency of enzymatic hydrolysis on lignocellulose. However, the pretreatment process is expensive and will produce inhibitors such as furan derivatives and phenol derivatives. If the lignocellulosic biomass can efficiently be saccharified by enzymolysis without pretreatment, the bioconversion process would be simplified. The genus Caldicellulosiruptor, an obligatory anaerobic and extreme thermophile can produce a diverse set of glycoside hydrolases (GHs) for deconstruction of lignocellulosic biomass. It gives potential opportunities for improving the efficiency of converting native lignocellulosic biomass to fermentable sugars.

RESULTS

Both of the extracellular (extra-) and intracellular (intra-) enzymes of C. owensensis cultivated on corncob xylan or xylose had cellulase (including endoglucanase, cellobiohydrolase and β-glucosidase) and hemicellulase (including xylanase, xylosidase, arabinofuranosidase and acetyl xylan esterase) activities. The enzymes of C. owensensis had high ability for degrading hemicellulose of native corn stover and corncob with the conversion rates of xylan 16.7 % and araban 60.0 %. Moreover, they had remarkable synergetic function with the commercial enzyme cocktail Cellic CTec2 (Novoyzmes). When the native corn stover and corncob were respectively, sequentially hydrolyzed by the extra-enzymes of C. owensensis and CTec2, the glucan conversion rates were 31.2 and 37.9 %,which were 1.7- and 1.9-fold of each control (hydrolyzed by CTec2 alone), whereas the glucan conversion rates of the steam-exploded corn stover and corncob hydrolyzed by CTec2 alone on the same loading rate were 38.2 and 39.6 %, respectively. These results show that hydrolysis by the extra-enzyme of C. owensensis made almost the same contribution as steam-exploded pretreatment on degradation of native lignocellulosic biomass. A new process for saccharification of lignocellulosic biomass by sequential hydrolysis is demonstrated in the present research, namely hyperthermal enzymolysis (70-80 °C) by enzymes of C. owensensis followed with mesothermal enzymolysis (50-55 °C) by commercial cellulase. This process has the advantages of no sugar loss, few inhibitors generation and consolidated with sterilization.

CONCLUSIONS

The enzymes of C. owensensis demonstrated an enhanced ability to degrade the hemicellulose of native lignocellulose. The pretreatment and detoxification steps may be removed from the bioconversion process of the lignocellulosic biomass by using the enzymes from C. owensensis.