FERMENTATION OF CELLULOSE AND HEMICELLULOSE IN CORN FIBER AND DISTILLERS DRIED GRAINS WITH SOLUBLES TO ETHANOL

摘要

A method of converting carbohydrates in corn fiber and distillers dried grain and solubles to increase the yield of ethanol, comprising pretreating a feedstock of corn fiber or distillers dried grain and solubles with dilute sulfuric acid or other means to convert hemicellulose into soluble arabinose, xylose, and other sugars under conditions that preserve protein content; treating the pretreated material with cellulase and possibly hemicellulase enzymes to convert cellulose and possibly hemicellulose portions into fermentable sugars; and treating the enzyme treated materials with fermenting microbes to ferment the sugars produced through pretreatment and enzymatic action to alcohol.