Fractionation of oil palm empty fruit bunch by bisulfite pretreatment for the production of bioethanol and high value products

Scientific Achievement

In this work, fractionation of empty fruit bunch (EFB) by bisulfite pretreatment was studied for the production of bioethanol and high value products to achieve biorefinery of EFB. EFB was fractionated to solid and liquor components by bisulfite process. The solid components were used for bioethanol production by quasi-simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (Q-SSF). The spent pretreatment liquor was also effectively separated into hemicellulose sugars and LS with the resin. 
Significance and Impact 

The combination of bisulfite pretreatment and resin separation could effectively fractionate EFB components to produce bioethanol and other high value chemicals.

Research Details

1: EFB was fractionated to solid and liquor components by bisulfite process. The solid components were used for bioethanol production by Q-SSF.
2: In the biorefinery of EFB, fractionate the bisulfite liquor into hemicellulose sugars and lignin by different methods for producing potential chemicals, such as xylose, xylooligosaccharide, and lignosulfonate.