RAPE SWITCHGRASS BIOMASS (Brassica napus) AS RAW MATERIALS FOR BIOBUTANOL PRODUCTION

Abstract

The aim of the work was to investigate the accumulation of butanol by Clostridium strain producers using meshed green rape biomass as substrate. The accumulation of butanol by producer strains was studied using rape as substrate in the doses of 5–30 g/l. The cells were precipitated in an ultracentrifuge, the supernatant was distilled, and fermentation products were determined. The presence of solvents in the culture fluid was determined by gas chromatography. The biggest accumulation of butanol was produced by the strain Clostridium sp. IMB B-7570 on 2.3 g/l mashed switchgrass biomass. The optimal inoculum concentration for maximum accumulation of butanol using switchgrass biomass was 10% of the volume of fermentation liquid. The greatest accumulation of butanol (2.9 g/l) was obtained in optimal culture conditions and at 10 g/l dry switchgrass biomass in the fermentation medium. Thus, the present study showed that mashed switchgrass biomass was assimilated by Clostridium sp. strains. The accumulation of butanol depended of Clostridium strain, the amount of inoculum, the concentration and degree of grinding of the substrate.

Keywords

• biobutanol
• Clostridium
• plant biomass
• switchgrass.