Title: Using steam explosion or AFEX™ to produce animal feeds and biofuel feedstocks in a biorefinery based on sugarcane residues: Using Steam Explosion or AFEX™ to Produce Animal Feeds and Biofuel Feedstocks in a Biorefinery Based on Sugarcane Residues

Abstract

Abstract Sustainable integration of biofuel (primarily bioethanol) and highly digestible livestock feed in production systems is a potential way to increase the economic returns to agriculture and simultaneously promote energy security, particularly in developing countries. In this work we evaluated the efficacy of steam explosion (StEx) and ammonia fiber expansion (AFEX™) as potential processes for improving the in vitro rumen digestibility, metabolizable energy, and ethanol yields from sugarcane crop residues (bagasse and cane leaf matter, CLM). Ammonia fiber expansion pretreatment enhanced the in vitro true digestibility and metabolizable energy content of sugarcane crop residues by 69% and 26%, respectively compared to untreated controls. On the other hand, StEx increased the true digestibility and metabolizable energy content of the sugarcane residues by 54% and 7%, respectively. Ammonia fiber expansion also increased the total nitrogen content of both sugarcane bagasse and CLM to more than 20.2 g kg ⁻¹ dry forage, a more than 230% improvement relative to untreated controls. High solid‐loading enzymatic hydrolysis and fermentation of StEx‐ and AFEX™‐pretreated sugarcane crop residues generated yields of up to 3368 and 4360 L of ethanol per hectare of sugarcane cultivated, respectively, at a biomass‐degrading enzyme dosage of 20 mg protein per gram glucan. This research strongly suggestsmore » that the use of suitably pretreated sugarcane crop residues in integrated sugarcane biofuel‐livestock production systems can increase the total per hectare agricultural output without increasing the area of sugarcane cultivated. In effect, this integrated approach promotes more sustainable biofuel production and increased food production while avoiding the potential for indirect land use change. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd« less

Authors:

Mokomele, Thapelo ^[1]; da Costa Sousa, Leonardo ^[2]; Bals, Bryan ^[3]; Balan, Venkatesh ^[4]; Goosen, Neill ^[5]; Dale, Bruce E. ^[2]; Görgens, Johann F. ^[5]

---

+ Show Author Affiliations

1. Stellenbosch University (South Africa); Michigan State Univ., East Lansing, MI (United States)
2. Michigan State Univ., East Lansing, MI (United States)
3. Michigan Biotechnology Institute, Lansing, MI (United States)
4. Michigan Biotechnology Institute, Lansing, MI, USA; Univ. of Texas, Houston, TX (United States)
5. Stellenbosch University (South Africa)

Publication Date:

Tue Aug 28 00:00:00 EDT 2018

Research Org.:

Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:

USDOE Office of Science (SC)

OSTI Identifier:

1609224

Alternate Identifier(s):

OSTI ID: 1467741

Grant/Contract Number:  

FC02-07ER64494; DE‐FC02‐07ER64494

Resource Type:

Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:

Biofuels, Bioproducts & Biorefining

Additional Journal Information:

Journal Volume: 12; Journal Issue: 6; Journal ID: ISSN 1932-104X

Publisher:

Wiley

Country of Publication:

United States

Language:

English

Subject:

09 BIOMASS FUELS; Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology; Energy & Fuels