Studies to optimize the process of biofuel production from castor stalk

Abstract

Lignocellulosic biomass is a rich source of cellulose and one of the most promising raw materials for the production of biofuels and other value added chemicals. However, its high lignin content and complex cellular structure represent a significant processing challenge. In this work, the effect of pretreatment using [EMIM][Ac] was studied at various process parameters in order to develop a cost-effective process. In order to minimize the loss of sugars in this process bulk of the solids, comprising both regenerated cellulose and undissolved particles were subjected to the enzymatic hydrolysis. Up to 96 % enzymatic digestibility was achieved, even with relatively coarse particle sizes (0.6-1.0 mm range), at 10 % biomass loading. The enhanced digestibility of CS is attributed to reduction in lignin content, crystallinity of the cellulose coupled with an increase in surface area.