Low-temperature sodium hydroxide pretreatment for ethanol production from sugarcane bagasse without washing process.

A low-temperature sodium hydroxide (NaOH) pretreatment for sugarcane bagasse (SCB) was obtained via the surface response design in this study. However, a large quantity of water consumption and wastewater generation which have been the common problems for alkaline pretreatment of lignocellulose still exists in this pretreatment. In order to reduce water consumption and wastewater generation, this study attempted to perform enzymatic hydrolysis and fermentation of NaOH-treated SCB without washing process. It showed that after pretreatment and solid-liquid separation, NaOH-treated SCB could be directly hydrolysed by cellulase via pH and solid-liquid adjustment without washing steps, and the maximum enzymatic hydrolysis efficiency could reach to 70.2%. A domesticated Saccharomyces cerevisiae Y2034 which can endure 6-times diluted BL was obtained, and realized 67.5% ethanol yield from the enzymatic hydrolysate of unwashed NaOH-treated SCB. It provided a clue for converting NaOH-treated lignocellulose to ethanol at low water consumption and wastewater generation.