U.S.-Egypt Cooperative Research: Conversion of Agricultural Residues Into Ethanol and Microcrystalline Cellulose

该奖项旨在支持弗吉尼亚理工学院生物系统工程系的Foster Agblevor博士和弗吉尼亚州布莱克斯堡州立大学的Maha Ibrahim博士以及埃及开罗国家研究中心纤维素和造纸部的Maha Ibrahim博士之间的合作研究。PIS将研究农业工业废物的处理，如轧棉机废料、稻草、香蕉茎和其他符合环境保护机构标准的废物。这一处理将同时解决废物处理问题，并为该行业产生高价值的产品流。该项目的科学意义在于，它将展示将农业废物转化为高价值产品的环境友好型方法。此外，它还将解决微生物毒性问题以及经过处理的生物质对微生物和纤维素酶的抑制作用。开发一种生物质预处理的就地脱毒方法将解决生物质转化技术中的一个主要研究问题，并可以利用发酵技术快速地将生物质原料转化为各种产品。研究目标为：1.研究生物质水解物的原位脱毒。2.开发蒸汽爆破法将轧棉机废渣等农用工业废渣转化为乙醇。3.研究利用蒸汽爆破法将农用工业废渣转化为微晶纤维素的方法。PIS计划对来自埃及和美国的具有代表性的生物质原料(轧棉机废料)进行表征，以确定最终成分，并使用各种蒸汽爆炸严重程度参数调查农业废物的蒸汽爆炸处理。他们将研究使用回收的纸泥和轧棉机废料以及浸渍的沉淀碳酸钙对蒸汽爆炸的生物质进行现场解毒。现场脱毒的蒸汽爆破物，经过纤维素酶的酶解后，可用于乙醇生产。微晶纤维素的生产过程不需要脱毒。所解决的主要研究问题是开发一个合适的严重程度参数来产生所需的纤维素聚合度。该项目的更广泛影响：燃烧和焚烧是农业副产品的主要处置方法，存在颗粒排放问题，需要翻新处理设施以满足新的空气质量标准。对于小公司来说，这种处置方法成本高昂，因此需要其他处置方法。这项研究成果可能会在美国和埃及商业化。该项目还将使埃及科学家有机会使用美国的一些先进的生物质加工设施。农用工业废料、乙醇和微晶纤维素是重要的商品化产品，在化工、医药、食品等行业有着广泛的应用。该项目得到了美国-埃及联合基金计划的支持，该计划为两国的科学家和工程师提供资助，以开展这些合作活动。

0420577AgblevorDescription: This award is to support a cooperative research between Dr. Foster Agblevor, Department of Biological Systems Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia and Dr. Maha Ibrahim, Cellulose and Paper Department, National Research Center, Cairo, Egypt. The PIs will study the processing of agro-industrial wastes such as cotton gin waste, rice straw, banana stems, and others to meet environmental protection agency standards. This processing will simultaneously solve a waste disposal problem and generate high-value product stream for the industry. The scientific significance of this project is the fact that it will demonstrate environmentally friendly methods of converting agricultural wastes into high-value products. Further, it will address the problem of microbial toxicity and inhibition of the pretreated biomass to microorganisms and cellulose enzymes. Developing an in situ detoxification method for biomass pretreatment will solve a major research problem in biomass conversion technology and could rapidly accelerate the conversion of biomass feedstocks to various products using fermentation technology. The research objectives are: 1. To investigate the in situ detoxification of biomass hydrolysates. 2. To develop steam explosion method to convert cotton gin waste and other agro-industrial residues to ethanol. 3. To investigate steam explosion method to convert agro-industrial residues to microcrystalline cellulose. The PIs plan to characterize representative biomass feedstocks from Egypt and USA (cotton gin waste) for summative composition and investigate steam explosion treatment of agricultural wastes using various steam explosion severity parameters. They will investigate the in situ detoxification of the steam-exploded biomass using a combination of recycled paper sludge and cotton gin waste as well as impregnated precipitated calcium carbonate. In situ-detoxified steam exploded material will be used for ethanol production after enzymatic hydrolysis using cellulose enzyme. The microcrystalline cellulose production process does not need detoxification. The major research problem addressed is to develop a suitable severity parameter to produced desired degree of polymerization for the cellulose. The Broader Impacts of the Project: Combustion and incineration, the major disposal methods of agricultural by-products, have particulate emission problems, which require retrofitting of the processing facilities to meet new air quality standards. For small companies, this method of disposal is cost-prohibitive and therefore alternative disposal methods are needed. The research results are likely to be commercialized in both the USA and Egypt. The project will also accord the Egyptian scientists the opportunity to use some of the advanced biomass processing facilities in the USA. The target products from the agro-industrial waste, ethanol and microcrystalline cellulose are very important commercial products, which have wide applications in chemical, pharmaceutical, and food industries. This project is being supported under the US-Egypt Joint Fund Program, which provides grants to scientists and engineers in both countries to carry out these cooperative activities.