Sugarcane and Woody Biomass Pretreatments for Ethanol Production

Lignocellulosic biomass, which is chiefly composed of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin, has now been recognized and established as a source of energy, fuels, and chemicals. Amongst the several options for the use of lignocellulosic materials for energy generation, the production of ethanol has attracted particular attention worldwide, becoming the target of intense research and development (R&D) over the past 40 years. However, the technology required for industrial conversion of these materials into ethanol, in an economic manner, has not yet been fully developed. As an example, the necessary biomass pretreatment step has been under thorough investigation, as the production of sugar syrups with high concen‐ trations and yields via enzymatic hydrolysis of biomass requires the pretreatment to be effi‐ cient to render the material accessible to the relevant enzyme pool.