Concept for Recycling Waste Biomass from the Sugar Industry for Chemical and Biotechnological Purposes
Magdalena Modelska,
Joanna Berlowska,
Dorota Kregiel,
Weronika Cieciura,
Hubert Antolak,
Jolanta Tomaszewska,
Michał Binczarski,
Elzbieta Szubiakiewicz,
Izabela A. Witonska
Affiliations
Magdalena Modelska
Institute of General and Ecological Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Lodz University of Technology, Zeromskiego 116, 90-924 Lodz, Poland
Joanna Berlowska
Institute of Fermentation Technology and Microbiology, Faculty of Food Science and Biotechnology, Lodz University of Technology, Wolczanska 171/173, 90-924 Lodz, Poland
Dorota Kregiel
Institute of Fermentation Technology and Microbiology, Faculty of Food Science and Biotechnology, Lodz University of Technology, Wolczanska 171/173, 90-924 Lodz, Poland
Weronika Cieciura
Institute of Fermentation Technology and Microbiology, Faculty of Food Science and Biotechnology, Lodz University of Technology, Wolczanska 171/173, 90-924 Lodz, Poland
Hubert Antolak
Institute of Fermentation Technology and Microbiology, Faculty of Food Science and Biotechnology, Lodz University of Technology, Wolczanska 171/173, 90-924 Lodz, Poland
Jolanta Tomaszewska
Institute of General and Ecological Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Lodz University of Technology, Zeromskiego 116, 90-924 Lodz, Poland
Michał Binczarski
Institute of General and Ecological Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Lodz University of Technology, Zeromskiego 116, 90-924 Lodz, Poland
Elzbieta Szubiakiewicz
Institute of General and Ecological Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Lodz University of Technology, Zeromskiego 116, 90-924 Lodz, Poland
Izabela A. Witonska
Institute of General and Ecological Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Lodz University of Technology, Zeromskiego 116, 90-924 Lodz, Poland
The objective of this study was to develop a method for the thermally-assisted acidic hydrolysis of waste biomass from the sugar industry (sugar beet pulp and leaves) for chemical and biotechnological purposes. The distillates, containing furfural, can be catalytically reduced directly into furfurayl alcohol or tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol. The sugars present in the hydrolysates can be converted by lactic bacteria into lactic acid, which, by catalytic reduction, leads to propylene glycol. The sugars may also be utilized by microorganisms in the process of cell proliferation, and the biomass obtained used as a protein supplement in animal feed. Our study also considered the effects of the mode and length of preservation (fresh, ensilage, and drying) on the yields of furfural and monosaccharides. The yield of furfural in the distillates was measured using gas chromatography with flame ionization detector (GC-FID). The content of monosaccharides in the hydrolysates was measured spectrophotometrically using enzymatic kits. Biomass preserved under all tested conditions produced high yields of furfural, comparable to those for fresh material. Long-term storage of ensiled waste biomass did not result in loss of furfural productivity. However, there were significant reductions in the amounts of monosaccharides in the hydrolysates.