Sugarcane bagasse mild alkaline/oxidative pretreatment for ethanol production by alkaline recycle process.

In order to decrease the alkali and water consumptions in the sugarcane bagasse alkaline/oxidative pretreatment for ethanol production, an alkaline recycle process was carried out. Two recycles of NaOH/H2O2 pretreatment did not decrease the pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis efficiencies and the consumptions of NaOH and water would be saved by 26% and 40%, respectively. A simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) culture with pretreated bagasse as substrate was developed giving 25 g ethanol l(-1) with a yield of 0.2 g g(-1) bagasse and productivity of 0.52 g l(-1) h(-1).