INTEGRATION OF ENZYMATIC PROCESSES FOR DELIGNIFICATION AND HYDROLYSIS OF AGRO-FOOD WASTES

Among next generation bio-fuels, bio-butanol produced by the Acetone-Butanol-Ethanol (ABE) fermentation [1] can be obtained from renewable carbon sources such as agro-food wastes. This biorefinery approach will beneficiate of both the advanced fermentation technologies for butanol production and of the exploitation of resources different from food-feed crops. Maximization of the sugar yield and reduction of the operating costs of the biomass pretreatment/hydrolysis process are among the main aims of the current research. The present study proposes an attempt of integration between two enzymatic steps of biomass delignification and hydrolysis that may offer effective and costs saving alternative to the conventional mechanical/physical pretreatments and acid hydrolysis of biomass. Bubble column has been adopted as lab-scale reactor with pneumatic mixing to perform tests on laccase lignin degradation and sequential cellulose hydrolysis by commercial cellulase cocktail using apple pomace residues as substrate.