HYDROLYSIS OF AGRICULTURAL BIOMASS BY COMBINED PRETREATMENT AND ENZYMATIC METHODS IN ORDER TO PRODUCE BIOFUELS (ETHANOL, BIOGAS)

The use of energy crops (maize straw, wheat straw, barley straw etc.) as substratefor renewable energy production (e.g. biogas) is more efficient when it is degradedby different hydrolysis methods. However, fibers contained inside energy crops (e.g.cellulose and hemicellulose) are only hardly and slowly degraded by anaerobicbacteria. The slow degradation of these substances can decrease the methane yieldsof agricultural biogas plants.In the present study, we investigated the efficiency ofcombined pretreatment (different concentrations H2SO4 + 30 minutes at 1210C)followed to enzymatic hydrolysis. Testing different concentration of H2SO4, goodresults were obtained for maize whole crop when we used combined pretreatment(3% H2SO4 + 30 minutes at 1210C) followed to enzymatic hydrolysis (3.9 foldhigher) and for Gavott Maize Straw when we used combined pretreatment (2%H2SO4 + 30 minutes at 1210C) followed to enzymatic hydrolysis (3.6 fold higher)comparing with untreated samples.