Optimum Conditions for the Production of Ethanol from the Biomass Sawdust

Abstract

Energy crisis and pollution are two important issues of the world. The conversion of the biomass sawdust into the bio-fuel ethanol can relieve the problems. However, people use cracking which requires high energy consumption or acid hydrolysis which increases the chance of water pollution. Only the enzymatic hydrolysis provides a mild and pollution free condition but no work has been done to provide the methodologies and background information. In order to seek the best methodologies and the information about the optimal conditions of the biological process for a large scale industrial production, the project was carried out by cellulase hydrolysis of the sawdust and yeast fermentation to produce ethanol. The effects of pH and TDS were considered because they determined the water source and industrial site. The effect of temperature was studied because it determined the power system. Firstly, the electronic machine was designed and built. Secondly, efficient procedures were developed. Thirdly, the optimal value of the individual effect of each factor was found. Then, the Taguchi method was applied for validation, contribution and interaction of the factors. It was found that sterilization was very important. The optimal temperature, pH and TDS were 37.67 °C, 8.56 and 87 ppm respectively but 37 °C, 8.55 and 85 ppm under the Taguchi method without interaction but 37 °C, 8.55 and 87 ppm with interaction. The descending order of the contribution was found to be the pH, the interaction of temperature and TDS, the interaction of the temperature and pH, the temperature and the TDS. There was no interaction between the pH and TDS. People can then determine the power system, site, water source, design, and weighting for an efficient and productive production of the bio-fuel ethanol from the biomass sawdust industrially.