Parametric study on the ethanol fermentation of sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench' SPV 422') syrup under sterilized and unsterilized conditions

Date

4-2013

Degree

Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering

College

College of Engineering and Agro-Industrial Technology (CEAT)

Adviser/Committee Chair

Rex B. Demafelis

Restrictions

Restricted: Not available to the general public. Access is available only after consultation with author/thesis adviser and only to those bound by the confidentiality agreement.

Abstract

The Biofuels Act of 2006 mandated the blending of bioethanol into gasoline, which generated a 400-million liter annual demand for it. Presently, only a quarter of this amount is being produced locally due to various reasons, including the current feedstock, sugarcane. Its price volatility contributes to an unstable supply of feedstock to distilleries, impending their production and discouraging future investors. In response, an alternative feedstock of great potential is being investigated for bioethanol production, sweet sorghum. In this study, the effects of various parameters on the fermentation of sweet sorghum (SPV 422) syrup were determined. Three yeast from the IFST, UPLB were evaluated while all yielded similar final ethanol concentrations, Saccharomyces bayanuis reached it faster than the other two (S. carlsbergensis and S. ellipsoideus) at 24 hours. Using S. bayanus, it was found that an initial sugar concentration of 20°Bx and an inoculum loading of 10 % were best for the ranges tested. Under these conditions, it was found that unsterilized media yielded a higher final ethanol concentration in a shorter time span than sterilized media. The highest ethanol concentration observed among all runs was 9.6 %. Among the parameters investigated, only sterilization was found to significantly affect the final ethanol content.

Language

English

Location

UPLB Main Library Special Collections Section (USCS)

Call Number

LG 993.5 2013 E62 /L58

Document Type

Thesis

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