Intermediate products from sugar beet processing used for the biosynthesis of ethanol

Abstract

The use of liquid biofuels as an alternative to hydrocarbon fossil fuels has expanded in the last few decades. The basic concern over the use of bioethanol as a transport fuel is to reduce carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere. The objective of this study was to investigate the possibilities of using raw, thin and thick juices, the intermediate products from sugarbeet processing, for bioethanol production. The obtained results were compared with the results of fermentation with molasses as a traditional feedstock for bioethanol production. The application of cultivation media based on raw, thin and thick juices resulted in fermentation yields of 62.19%, 60.35% and 66.51%, respectively, the values being very close to the yield of 63.09 % achieved by applying the molasses-based cultivation media. After the 12th hour of fermentation, productivity of the process significantly decreased. Therefore, optimal duration of the process in technical and economic terms should be considered.