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Second-Generation Biofuel Production from Corn-Ethanol Industry Residues

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Sustainable Bioenergy and Bioproducts

Part of the book series: Green Energy and Technology ((GREEN))

Abstract

Net ethanol production per unit mass of corn kernel can be significantly improved by utilizing fibrous co-products to produce cellulosic ethanol. Corn fiber is a good cellulosic feedstock to produce second-generation biofuel. A biorefinery concept is introduced to convert fibrous residue, corn fiber, into fermentable sugars at a lower temperature with minimal use of chemicals. Laboratory-scale consolidated fermentation system comprised of on-site fungal enzyme production system and simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) yielded 7.1, 8.6 and 4.1 g ethanol per 100 g corn fiber when saccharified with the white-, brown-, and soft-rot fungi, respectively. The highest corn-to-ethanol yield (8.6 g ethanol/100 g corn fiber) was equivalent to 42% of the theoretical ethanol yield from starch and cellulose in corn fiber. This is equivalent to 120 l of ethanol per metric ton of corn fiber. With process optimization, conversion of over 70% of corn fiber carbohydrate content into ethanol can generate as much as 13x109 l of ethanol per year, which is equivalent to 25% of the current annual ethanol production (52x109 l) in the US, additional $8.65 billion annual revenue and reduction in corn acreage by 3 mha. It is also possible to convert the carbohydrates to a fuel oil using a secondary oleaginous fungal process. The residual fiber enriched with fungal protein can still be utilized as animal feed without unbalancing the feed market/supply.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Energy Biosciences Institute (EBI), University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA

    Prachand Shrestha

  2. Food Sciences and Human Nutrition, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, 29634, USA

    Anthony L Pometto III

  3. Molecular Bioscience and Bioengineering, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA

    Samir Kumar Khanal

  4. Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 50011, USA

    J. (Hans) van Leeuwen

Authors
  1. Prachand Shrestha
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  2. Anthony L Pometto III
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  3. Samir Kumar Khanal
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  4. J. (Hans) van Leeuwen
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Prachand Shrestha .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. Civil &, Construction Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, 50010, Iowa, USA

    Kasthurirangan Gopalakrishnan

  2. Iowa State University, Town Engineering Building 376, Ames, 50011, USA

    J. (Hans) van Leeuwen

  3. Iowa State University, Marston Hall 411, Ames, 50011, USA

    Robert C. Brown

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Shrestha, P., Pometto, A.L., Khanal, S.K., van Leeuwen, J.(. (2012). Second-Generation Biofuel Production from Corn-Ethanol Industry Residues. In: Gopalakrishnan, K., van Leeuwen, J., Brown, R. (eds) Sustainable Bioenergy and Bioproducts. Green Energy and Technology. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-2324-8_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-2324-8_5

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, London

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4471-2323-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4471-2324-8

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