Li, A.; (2008) Bioconversion of biodegradable municipal solid waste (BMSW) to glucose for bio-ethanol production. Doctoral thesis , University of London.

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Abstract

Municipal solid waste (MSW), as an emerging biomass source, presents a unique opportunity for large-scale second-generation bioethanol production. Feedstock supply is reliable and in sufficient quantity, making it a promising biomass source but the conversion yield is currently too low to make it financially attractive. This work presented in this thesis provides a better understanding of bioconversion systems, in particular of pre-treatment and hydrolysis processes which contribute to more than 60% of ethanol selling price. This thesis also presents a technique of bioconversion which allows conversion of MSW to bioethanol to be carried out more efficiently than with existing techniques. This thesis starts with an assessment of the feasibility of using MSW to replace primary agricultural products as biomass sources. It presents an efficient MSW to ethanol bioconversion process which includes pre-treatment and enzymatic hydrolysis, and provides detailed quantitative information on the conditions that maximise the glucose yield to 80% after 24-h hydrolysis reaction. This thesis also presents the result of the characterisation of the complex substrate features of the selected MSW fractions which have lignin and cellulose crystallinity, and an evaluation of the effects of MSW-substrate features on the conversion process. Finally, it presents the first model of the effects of substrate features in cellulase-cellulose adsorption cellulase-cellulose adsorption is recognised as a crucial step that controls the enzymatic hydrolysis rate. This study shows that lignin, crystallinity, cellulose content and their interaction have an important influence on enzyme adsorption capacity. It is concluded that both lignin content and crystallinity play a greater role in cellulose-cellulase adsorption than cellulose content. Finally the presence of lignin has a greater effect than crystallinity on both the maximum enzyme adsorption capacity and steady-state enzyme adsorption, whereas crystallinity has a greater effect on the latter one.

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