Coupled saccharification and fermentation of pre-treated Eucalyptus wood: a simple kinetic model

Coupled saccharification and fermentation of Eucalyptus globulus wood, pre-treated by acid hydrolysis and sodium hypochlorite, was carried out in two column reactors: one for enzymatic hydrolysis of the substrate at 50°C and the other for fermentation of sugars with calcium alginate-immobilized Saccharomyces cerevisiae at 30°C. A buffered solution containing cellulases at pH 4.8 was recycled through both reactors. The maximum yields were about 0.26 g ethanol per g of substrate. The results were reproduced reasonably well using a simple kinetic model consisting of two successive pseudo-first-order reactions.