Ethanol production by coupled saccharification and fermenation of sugar cane bagasse

As initial studies showed that enzymatic saccharification of sugar cane bagasse in columns with recycling of eluate was slightly more efficient than in agitated flasks, ethanol production by fermentation of the eluates with fast-decanting yeast and recycling of the fermentate through the bagasse columns was studied. The alcohol yield from these coupled columns after 24 or 48 h was more than 10% more than that in a simultaneous saccharification and fermentation in agitated flasks at 40°.