Production of ethanol from sawdust
Date of Publication
1994
Document Type
Master's Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science in Chemical Engineering
Subject Categories
Chemical Engineering
College
Gokongwei College of Engineering
Department/Unit
Chemical Engineering
Thesis Adviser
Dr. Carlito Salazar
Defense Panel Chair
Dr. Alma Bella Madrazo
Defense Panel Member
Leonila Abella
Dr. Susan Roces
Abstract/Summary
This study involves the production of ethanol from sawdust (60 mesh) with pyrolysis as a pretreatment process to remove hemicellulose. The solid product after pyrolysis was hydrolyzed to produce fermentable sugars which were fermented to ethanol using Saccharomyces Cerivisiae. A parallel test was conducted using direct acid hydrolysis and results were compared with that of the pyrolysis route. The pyrolysis temperature tested were 260'C and 280'C. Pyrolysis time varied between 1 hour and 1.5 hours for each temperature setting. The solid product of pyrolysis was hydrolyzed using 1 percent H2SO4 and a sawdust of acid ratio of 1:10 (w/v). In the direct acid hydrolysis, hemicellulose was removed by treating the sawdust with 10 percent H2SO4 and the cellulose obtained was decrystallized using 62 percent H2SO4. The decrystallized cellulose was then hydrolyzed using 1 percent H2SO4. The acid hydrolyzate of sawdust pyrolyzed at 260'C for 1.5 hours gave the highest glucose and ethanol yield among the pyrolysis settings. Compared with the direct acid hydrolysis, the pyrolysis route produced a hydrolyzate containing 4.55 percent w glucose against 3.29 percent w in the direct acid hydrolysis.
Conversion of cellulose to glucose and glucose to ethanol was 54.12 percent and 42.01 percent in the pyrolysis route and 44.99 percent and 39.83 percent in the direct acid hydrolysis, respectively. The acid hydrolyzates which were fermented to ethanol gave a distillate of 2.54 percent w and 1.35 percent w ethanol in the pyrolysis route and direct acid hydrolysis, respectively. This means a 46.85 percent higher ethanol yield in the pyrolysis route than in the direct acid hydrolysis.
Abstract Format
html
Language
English
Format
Accession Number
TG02353
Shelf Location
Archives, The Learning Commons, 12F Henry Sy Sr. Hall
Physical Description
88 numb. leaves
Keywords
Alcohol; Wood waste; Wood -- Chemistry; Chemistry; Technical; Pyrolysis; Acids
Recommended Citation
Borja, J. Q. (1994). Production of ethanol from sawdust. Retrieved from https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_masteral/1633