Value Chain Structures that Define European Cellulosic Ethanol Production

Nanofibrillated Cellulose (NFC): A High-Value Co-Product that Improves the Economics of Cellulosic Ethanol Production

Cellulosic ethanol is a sustainable alternative to petroleum as a transportation fuel, which could be made biologically from agricultural and forestry residues, municipal waste, or herbaceous and woody crops. Instead of putting efforts on steps overcoming the natural resistance of plants to biological breakdown, our study proposes a unique pathway to improve the outcome of the process by co-pro...

Key Pretreatment Technologies on Cellulosic Ethanol Production

Conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to fuel ethanol involves pretreatments followed by enzyme-catalyzed hydrolysis to generate fermentable sugars. Efficient pretreatment method can significantly enhance hydrolysis of biomass and thus reduce ethanol production cost. Cellulosic plant materials are mainly composed of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin, the cheapest source of fermentable sugars....

Cellulosic Ethanol Production from Sugarcane Bagasse without Enzymatic Saccharification

Sugarcane processing generates a large volume of bagasse. Disposal of bagasse is critical for both agricultural profitability and environmental protection. Sugarcane bagasse is a renewable resource that can be used to produce ethanol and many other value-added products. In this study, we demonstrate that cane processed bagasse could be used to produce fuel grade ethanol without saccharification...

Use of Ionic Liquids for Improvement of Cellulosic Ethanol Production

Cellulosic ethanol production has drawn much attention in recent years. However, there remain significant technical challenges before such production can be considered as economically feasible at an industrial scale. Among them, the efficient conversion of carbohydrates in lignocellulosic biomass into fermentable sugars is one of the most challenging technical difficulties in cellulosic ethanol...

Pretreatment of Cellulosic Waste Materials for Ethanol Production