ARS | Publication request: Global Potential of Rice Hulls as a Renewable Feedstock for Fuel Ethanol Production

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: October 1, 2010
Publication Date: October 1, 2010
Citation: Saha, B.C., Cotta, M.A. 2010. Global potential of rice hulls as a renewable feedstock for fuel ethanol production [abstract]. American Institute of Chemical Engineers. p. 33.

Technical Abstract: Rice hulls, a complex lignocellulosic material with high lignin (16%) and ash (20%) content, contains about 35% cellulose and 12% hemicellulose and has the potential to serve as a low cost feedstock for production of fuel ethanol globally. Three pretreatment options (dilute acid, lime, and alkaline peroxide) and enzymatic saccharification were evaluated for conversion of rice hull cellulose and hemicelluloses to fermentable sugars. The production of ethanol from rice hull hydrolyzate by a mixed sugar utilizing ethanologenic recombinant Escherichia coli strain was investigated using both separate hydrolysis and fermentation (SHF) and simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) approaches. In this presentation, our studies on the conversion of rice hulls to ethanol including recovery of silica will be described. The results show promise in developing an integrated process technology for production of fuel ethanol from rice hulls as a lignocellulosic feedstock.