Abstract

SARROUH, Boutros Fouad; JOVER, Josefina  and  GONZALEZ, Erenio. A study of single-step hydrolysis of bagasse with concentrated sulphuric acid for obtaining ethanol and in a modified single step and corresponding technical-economic analysis. Ing. Investig. [online]. 2005, vol.25, n.3, pp.34-38. ISSN 0120-5609.

This work deals with acid hydrolysis of bagasse in just one step and in a modified step using concentrated sulphuric acid. The study analysed the influence of three independent variables on the single-step process (reaction time, solid percentage of bagasse and temperature). The highest conversion obtained in single-step hydrolysis was 87.65% fermentative sugars, using 70% sulphuric acid with 2% solids at 50oC for 1 hour. The modified process was carried out based on these results; 97.5% maximum conversion of fermentative sugars was achieved using 30% acid dilution. Concentrated sulphuric acid single-stage hydrolysis of bagasse and in a single modified stage were subjected to technical-economic analysis. Starting from the results obtained experimentally of the process at laboratory level and elevated to a possible plant with a capacity to produce 800 Hl alcohol/day. VAN and PRD indices indicated that single-stage concentrated acid hydrolysis (variant 1) having 8,310,659.27 VAN and 3 year PRD was more feasible than the modified process (variant 2) having 3,293,318.69 VAN and 7 year PRD.

Keywords : bagasse hydrolysis with concentrated acid; ethanol; cost; economic feasibility.

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