A Pilot Plant Scale 2nd Generation Bio-ethanol Production from Waste Mushroom Beds in Japan

Abstract

The first pilot plant scale 2nd generation bioethanol production method from waste mushroom bed (or mushroom medium) with continuous steam explosion pretreatment has been documented. Waste mushroom bed is one of the few hopeful feedstocks for ethanol production in Japan. Steam explosion is known as an effective pretreatment for ethanol production from mushroom beds. The optimal condition for the continuous steam explosion was evaluated via fiber analysis and flask-sized saccharification. The exploded mushroom bed was then loaded into an 8 m(3) saccharification vessel and saccharized with commercial cellulase for 48 h, then transferred over to a 5 m(3) fermenter. The ethanol concentration level for the final product was 1.8 %. Conversion ratio for C6 sugars contained in the pretreated waste mushroom bed was 61 %.