Production of ethanol from sugar cane

Patent · Tue Apr 20 04:00:00 EST 1982

OSTI ID:5135526

Hayes, F W

An integrated process is provided for producing ethanol from sugar cane. Harvested cane is chopped and shredded to provide a mass of fiber and juice which is digested in a first digester with a hemicellulase enzyme. Fibrous residue is separated by centrifuge and passed to a second digester for digestion with a mixed culture of a cellulase enzyme and an ethanol-producing culture. Fibrous residue from is pressed to provide a recycle juice extract and then burned to provide at least part of the heat energy requirement of the process. Juice extracts from digesters separated by centrifuges are combined, sterilized, flashed and passed to a fermentor for fermentation with an ethanol-producing microorganism. Ethanol is recovered from the process by separation utilizing a membrane.

• Assignee: EDB-82-139232
• Patent Number(s): US 4326036
• OSTI ID: 5135526
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

09 BIOMASS FUELS
090222* -- Alcohol Fuels-- Preparation from Wastes or Biomass-- (1976-1989)
140504 -- Solar Energy Conversion-- Biomass Production & Conversion-- (-1989)
ALCOHOLS
BIOCONVERSION
BIOSYNTHESIS
CARBOHYDRATES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COMBUSTION
DIGESTION
ENZYMES
ETHANOL
FERMENTATION
FIBERS
GRAMINEAE
GRASS
HEMICELLULOSE
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
MEMBRANES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDATION
PLANTS
POLYSACCHARIDES
RECYCLING
RESIDUES
SACCHARIDES
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SUGAR CANE
SYNTHESIS
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES