Biotechnology for Zero Waste – Emerging Waste Management Techniques (Chaudhery Mustansar Hussain (editor) etc.)

265

Utilization of Microbial Potential for Bioethanol Production

from Lignocellulosic Waste

Manisha Rout¹, Bithika Sardar², Puneet K. Singh¹, Ritesh Pattnaik², and

Snehasish Mishra¹

1Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (Deemed-to-be-University), School of Biotechnology, Bioenergy

Lab and BDTC, Bhubaneswar 751024, India

2Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (Deemed-to-be-University), School of Biotechnology,

Bhubaneswar 751024, India

17.1

Introduction

The growing human population and globalization have led to an increase in the

energy demand and consequently resulted in a rampant decline in the world’s

reservoir of non-renewable energy sources such as petroleum-based fuels. It has

also brought in the issues of environmental pollution and climatic changes. This

has inspired the efforts on exploring alternative fuels which are considered clean,

renewable, and environmentally sustainable [1]. Among the various biofuels,

ethanol (CH3CH2OH) is considered most efficient and economical biofuel in the

current world market. Bioethanol, popularly termed “Fuel of the future” by Henry

Ford, holds several advantages over other energy sources. Bioethanol is produced

from naturally available and inexhaustible sources such as agricultural products

and non-food raw materials such as straw, sweet sorghum, or bamboo in contrast

to perishable fossil-derived products. Bioethanol has less toxicity compared to

available alcoholic fuels. The end products of partial oxidation of ethanol (e.g. acetic

acid and acetaldehyde) are less poisonous and nearly carbon neutral, thus reducing

carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and associated climate change. Hence, it can be

treated as a safe and eco-friendly alternative to conventional fuels [2]. The low

octane and centane numbers compared to gasoline make ethanol burn inefficiently

by ignition compression and render it immiscible with diesel fuel. Thus, it finds

wide application in spark ignition internal combustion (IC) engines [3].

17.1.1

Bioethanol from Different Feed Stocks

Bioethanol is a liquid biofuel which can be produced by utilization of a wide variety

of feedstocks via various conversion mechanisms. Feed stocks or available biomass

can be categorized into three major groups or generations depending on their source

Biotechnology for Zero Waste: Emerging Waste Management Techniques, First Edition.

Edited by Chaudhery Mustansar Hussain and Ravi Kumar Kadeppagari.