A method for producing bioethanol from the lignocellulose of Shorea uliginosa Foxw. by enzymatic saccharification and fermentation

Abstract

Several papers have reported various technical aspects of lignocellulosic bioethanol production. Recalcitrance to saccharification is a major limitation for conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to ethanol. The biological process for converting lignocellulose to fuel ethanol includes delignification in order to liberate cellulose and hemicelluloses, depolymerization of carbohydrate polymers to produce free sugars, and sugar fermentation to produce ethanol. Access of plant cell wall polysaccharides to chemical, enzymatic and microbial digestion is limited by many factors, including the presence of lignin and hemicellulose that cover cellulose microfibrils. An effort to support the fuel ethanol fermentation industry using the Indonesian woody plant species Shorea uliginosa Foxw. was undertaken with regard to the established efficient bioethanol production process. This paper relates to a method for producing bioethanol from the lignocellulose of S. uliginosa Foxw. by saccharification and fermentation of xylem. A literature study of previous research on cellulose hydrolysis as a method for producing bioethanol was necessary. The objective of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of the degradation mechanisms of cellulose by enzymes through a study of previous research, which were then compared to the new method.