Pretreatment of Biomass with Gamma Rays and Electron Beam for Ethanol Production via Enzymatic Hydrolysis: A Brief Review

Leonardo Yago Zwetsch Varella; Amir Zacarias Mesquita; Daniel Bastos de Rezende; Erika Cristina Cren; Vitor Fernandes de Almeida Fernandes de Almeida; Walewska Gouveia Silva; Thêssa Cristina Alonso

doi:10.15392/2319-0612.2024.2575

Authors

Leonardo Varella Centro de Desenvolvimento da Tecnologia Nuclear (CDTN)
Dr. Amir Mesquita Centro de Desenvolvimento da Tecnologia Nuclear (CDTN)
Dr. Daniel de Rezende Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG)
Dra. Erika Cren Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG)
Vitor de Almeida Centro de Desenvolvimento da Tecnologia Nuclear (CDTN)
Walewska Silva Centro de Desenvolvimento da Tecnologia Nuclear (CDTN)
Dra. Thessa Alonso Centro de Desenvolvimento da Tecnologia Nuclear (CDTN)

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15392/2319-0612.2024.2575

Keywords:

lignocellulosic biomass, irradiation pretreatment, second-generation ethanol, water radiolysis

Abstract

Lignocellulosic biomass, sourced from non-edible plant materials like bagasse, straw, and other agricultural residues, represents a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels, contributing to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Effective pretreatment is essential for modifying the structural integrity of biomass, thereby increasing the accessibility of cellulose and hemicellulose for enzymatic hydrolysis. This paper analyzes two pretreatment methodologies, highlighting the role of gamma-ray and electron beam irradiation. These methods leverage photons and high-energy particles to induce structural and chemical modifications in lignocellulosic biomass, which facilitate a more efficient breakdown into fermentable sugars during hydrolysis. This work showed that both irradiation methods not only increase the yield of fermentable sugars but also do it without the need for hazardous chemicals, thus presenting an environmentally benign alternative to conventional pretreatment methods and presents the potential of these irradiation techniques in streamlining bioethanol production processes, advocating for further research and technological development to fully harness their benefits in industrial applications.

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Author Biographies

Leonardo Varella, Centro de Desenvolvimento da Tecnologia Nuclear (CDTN)

PhD Student at the Nuclear Technology Development Center (CDTN)
Dr. Amir Mesquita, Centro de Desenvolvimento da Tecnologia Nuclear (CDTN)

Research professor at Centro de Desenvolvimento da Tecnologia Nuclear (CDTN).
Dr. Daniel de Rezende, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG)

Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais
Dra. Erika Cren, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG)

Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at UFMG.
Vitor de Almeida, Centro de Desenvolvimento da Tecnologia Nuclear (CDTN)

PhD Student at the Nuclear Technology Development Center (CDTN)
Walewska Silva, Centro de Desenvolvimento da Tecnologia Nuclear (CDTN)

PhD Student at the Nuclear Technology Development Center (CDTN)
Dra. Thessa Alonso, Centro de Desenvolvimento da Tecnologia Nuclear (CDTN)

Chief of the Gamma Irradiator Laboratory at the Nuclear Technology Development Center (CDTN)

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