CHARACTERIZATION AND EVALUATION OF BANANA PSEUDO-STEMS FOR BIOETHANOL PRODUCTION

Abstract

Bio-fuels like bioethanol originated from lignocellulosic biomasses are being investigated as potential substitutes for current high pollutant fuels obtained from conventional sources. Banana pseudo-stem is one of lignocellulosic biomass, which is generated from banana cultivation. This study was carried out to Characterize and Evaluate Banana Pseudo-stems for Bioethanol Production. For this study, Giant Cavendishii (M. acuminata), Dwarf Cavendishii (M. acuminata), and William-1 (M. ‘Williams hybrid’) banana pseudo-stems were used for investigation. In this study, chemical compositions of pseudo-stems (extractives, cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, and ash) were determined through National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) protocol. Bioethanol was also produced from each pseudo-stem through biochemical conversion method. The production method had four major processes; pseudo-stem pretreatment, hydrolysis, fermentation, and distillation. Some of the physicochemical properties of produced bioethanol (Viscosity, Density, Flash point, Alcohol concentration, and Calorific value) were tested. The functional group of the produced bioethanol was analyzed using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. And finally, bioethanol yield of each variety was determined depending on the concentration of produced bioethanol. Each laboratory experiments were conducted for triplicate. The data analysis of experimental result was done by using statistical analysis of variance (one way ANOVA), through statistical analysis software (SAS). The laboratory result of extractives, cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, and ash content of the pseudo-stems were 27.25% - 31.15%, 30.11% - 36.14%, 19.32% - 23.83%, 8.81% - 9.30%, and 7.99% - 9.30%, respectively. And bioethanol yield of Giant Cavendishii, Dwarf Cavendishii, and William-1 pseudo-stem were 6.31%, 5.20%, and 4.00%, respectively. The statistical analysis software (SAS) output implied that the pseudo-stems of the three varieties have significantly different cellulose composition and bioethanol yield. As the result implied, pseudo-stem of giant cavendishii (M. acuminate) has the largest cellulose content and bioethanol yield followed by dwarf cavendishii (M. acuminata). Thus, giant cavendishii (M. acuminate) has relatively higher bioethanol potential. Therefore, giant cavendishii banana pseudo-stem is recommended to use as feedstock for bioethanol production.