Estudo Comparativo de álcool utilizando a Cyperus esculentus via rota enzimática e ácida

Abstract

The advancement of the global economy challenges the energy supply in searching for cleaner energy from renewable sources. Ethanol from biomass takes a distinguished place among the biofuels. In Brazil is produced from the sugarcane biomass, however, it has been prioritized the production of sugar by the sugarcane industries, new strategies are being researched aiming to offer alternative crops to the ethanol production. The objective of this work was the ethanol production from the fermentation of Cyperus esculentus flour as raw material from the starch. This weed has unique features and presents considerable starch content, which can be converted into fermentable sugars in order to obtain ethanol. The following techniques were employed - the moisture content, the starch content and the reducing sugars found in the flour of Cyperus esculentus, the hydrolysis of starch material by two different routes, chemical and enzymatic, fermentation, distillation, UV-Vis spectroscopy and the discussion of statistical data carried out according to the factorials 2² experimental planning. The results were processed using the software Design Expert®, version 8 and the response in alcohol content, ºGL. The fermented mashes resulted in average alcohol content of 29,08 ºGL to the enzymatic hydrolysis, while the acid hydrolysis using HNO3 provided value equal to 26,0ºGL. The planning showed significant values of fermentation in periods of 24 hours and a concentration of Saccharomyces cerevisiae equal to 15 gL?¹. The results showed a better performance using the enzymatic route, what was already expected due to the enzyme selectivity, however the production by the acid route features a 95% lower cost than the enzymatic which would become viable with the insertion of subsidies.