Use of pineapple residues for the production of second generation ethanol

Abstract

Ethanol is a fuel derived from renewable energy sources, however, the main production processes use biomasses that are also used as food. For this reason, new technologies that use alternative sources as a raw material are needed, such as the production of second-generation ethanol that uses lignocellulosic biomass in its process. This biomass can be in the form of bagasse, straw, plant tips, barks, that is, products that are residues of an agricultural production or plants that in some way cause problems for the population, such as the waterhole that in a short time can cover the river bed, causing eutrophication of the river. An example of agricultural waste is the plant left over after harvesting the pineapple. As it is a vegetal biomass, it contains in its structure cellulose that can be degraded in glucose and this one is used as substrate for the production of ethanol. Thus, this project aims the production of ethanol from pineapple residues through enzymatic hydrolysis, providing an alternative environmentally and that still contributes to the mitigation of Brazil's energy insufficiency in terms of renewable energy without competing with food production.