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Fuel ethanol production from corn fiber current status and technical prospects

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Abstract

Corn fiber, which consists of about 20% starch, 14% cellulose, and 35% hemicellulose, has the potential to serve as a low cost feedstock for production of fuel ethanol. Currently, the use of corn fiber to produce fuel ethanol faces significant technical and economic challenges. Its success depends largely on the development of environmentally friendly pretreatment procedures, highly effective enzyme systems for conversion of pretreated corn fiber to fermentable sugars, and efficient microorganisms to convert multiple sugars to ethanol. Several promising pretreatment and enzymatic processes for conversion of corn fiber cellulose, hemicellulose, and remaining starch to fermentable sugars were evaluated. These hydrolyzates were then examined for ethanol production in bioreactors, using genetically modified bacteria and yeast. Several novel enzymes were also developed for use in pretreated corn fiber saccharification.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Fermentation Biochemistry Research Unit, National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Agricultural Research Service US Department of Agriculture, 61604, Peoria, IL

    Badal C. Saha, Bruce S. Dien & Rodney J. Bothast

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  1. Badal C. Saha
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  2. Bruce S. Dien
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  3. Rodney J. Bothast
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Names are necessary to report factually on available data; however, the USDA neither guarantees nor warrants the standard of the product, and the use of the name by USDA implies no approval of the product to the exclusion of others that may also be suitable.

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Saha, B.C., Dien, B.S. & Bothast, R.J. Fuel ethanol production from corn fiber current status and technical prospects. Appl Biochem Biotechnol 70, 115–125 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02920129

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