Ethanol production from maize

Abstract

The production of fuel ethanol from corn grain is widely carried out in the US, with total current production at 7 billion gallons. This may soon reach 10 billion gallons or more. This chapter addresses the potential of fuel ethanol as an additional source of product based on utilization of the cellulosic (non-food) portions of maize, and in particular the pericarp, cobs, stalks and leaves of the corn plant. An analysis of the composition of corn, and possible processing schemes that transform the cellulosic portions to ethanol are addressed. Technologies for the bioprocessing of cellulose to ethanol, as well as the impact of cellulose utilization on supplementing corn ethanol, are presented.