Bioethanol production using lignocellulosic biomass - Review Part I. Pretreatments of biomass for generating ethanol

Abstract

Bio-ethanol is a promising alternative energy source for reducing both consumption of crude oil and environmental pollution from renewable resources like lignocellulosic biomass such as wood, forest residuals, agricultural leftovers and urban wastes. Based on current technologies, the cost of ethanol production from lignocellulosic materials is relatively high, and the main challenges are the low yield and high cost of the hydrolysis process. Development of more efficient pretreatment technology (physical, chemical, physico-chemical, and biological pretreatment), integration of several microbiological conversions into fewer reactors, and increasing ethanol production capacity may decrease specific investment for ethanol producing plants. The purpose of pretreatment of lignocellulosic material is to improve the accessible surface area of cellulose for hydrolytic enzymes and enhance the conversion of cellulose to glucose and finally high yield ethanol production which is economic and environmental friendly.