A SHORT REVIEW ON 2nd GENERATION PROCESSES TO PRODUCE ETHANOL FROM BIOMASS

摘要

The research to date on renewable ethanol is focused on ethanol production from biomass viabiological (1st generation) or biochemical (2nd generation) pathways, and frequently the term bioethanol in used onlyto refer them. However, it must be used in a broadest sense to refer to whatever ethanol produced by a process usingbiomass as feedstock. Up to date, 2nd generation processes could be classified in three broad pathways: biochemical(enzymatic hydrolysis), bio-thermochemical (fermentation of synthesis gas) and thermochemical (catalytic synthesis).The aim of this paper is to present a short review on the state of the art of 2nd generation processes to produce ethanolfrom lignocellulosic biomass. In this short review, especial attention is taken for the thermochemical pathway,probably the most promising and unknown pathway.