Marcelo M. Oliveira^1,2, Antônio A. S. Curvelo^2,3, Carlos Driemeier^1*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.6, No.2, pp. 152-159, 2018, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2017.6341576

Abstract Lignocellulose conversion into cellulosic ethanol and coproducts starts with a pretreatment step. Most current industrial plants of cellulosic ethanol use thermochemical pretreatments under hydrothermal conditions, with or without addition of acid catalyst. Such pretreatments modify biomass chemistry and morphology, particularly at the nanoscale. In this work, we use X-ray diffraction, dynamic vapor sorption and calorimetric thermoporometry to investigate the biomass nanostructural changes promoted by hydrothermal conditions. We compare and differentiate the rind and pith fractions of sugarcane stalks in order to contribute to the understanding of rind-pith contrasting recalcitrance. Moreover, for both cane fractions our results point consistently to cellulose… More >

Nicolás M. Clauser^1*, Soledad Gutiérrez², María C. Area¹, Fernando E. Felissia¹, María E. Vallejos¹

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.6, No.2, pp. 139-151, 2018, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2017.634145

Abstract Small-scale biorefinery from sugarcane bagasse offers new possibilities to the sugar and ethanol industries. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of a small-scale biorefinery for the production of xylitol from sugarcane bagasse. The liquid fraction from the autohydrolysis treatment was selected as the source of sugars for xylitol and two scenarios were analyzed for the residual solid: ethanol or pellet production. A technical-economic analysis of alternatives was applied. The internal rate of return (IRR) was used to compare the selected proposals. The highest IRR values were obtained when processing 70,000 dry tons per year of bagasse.… More >