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Title: Continuous conversion of sweet sorghum juice to ethanol using immobilized yeast cells

Journal Article · · Biotechnol. Bioeng.; (United States)

While extensive work has been reported on sugarcane and sugarcane molasses for ethanol production, relatively few reports are available on ethanol production from sweet sorghum juice. With the advent of immobilized cell technology, an attempt has been made to utilize this technology for the production of ethanol from sweet sorghum juice. The species was Sorghum bicolar (Moench). The maximum productivity obtained at 30/sup 0/C with Saccharomyces uvarum cells immobilized in gelatin was 168 g/L h at an ethanol concentration of 2.4 g (w/v) using sweet sorghum juice having 11.5% fermentable sugars. The calculated value for full conversion was 86 g/L at an ethanol concentration of 5.5 g (w/v). The low concentration of total sugars in the juice, however, would make ethanol recovery expensive unless a uniformly high concentration of 16% or more of total sugars can be obtained.

Research Organization:
National Chemical Lab., Pune, India
OSTI ID:
6285574
Journal Information:
Biotechnol. Bioeng.; (United States), Vol. 26:9
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English