ETHANOL-FROM-CELLULOSE
ETHANOL-FROM-CELLULOSE
In times of fuel shortages, fermentation ethanol has been commercially manufactured in the US from cellulosic biomass feedstocks using acid hydrolysis techniques. Currently, some countries in locations with higher ethanol and fuel prices, are producing ethanol from cellulosic feedstocks. However, it is only recently that cost-effective technologies for producing ethanol-from-cellulose (EFC) in the US have started to emerge.
There are three basic types of EFC processes—acid hydrolysis, enzymatic hydrolysis, and thermochemical—with variations for each. The most common is acid hydrolysis. Virtually any acid can be used; however, sulfuric acid is most commonly used since it is usually the least expensive.
