M. L. Montoro*, A. Mamaní, ML, Herrero MF,
Sardella and A. C. Deiana
Instituto de Ingeniería Química, Facultad de
Ingeniería,
Universidad Nacional de San Juan, Avenida Libertador 1109 oeste-C.P.5400 San
Juan –Argentina.
In the
challenge of fossil fuel substitution, lignocellulosic biomass is considered the
feedstock of the future, due to its economic and environmental advantages in
comparison with bioethanol from starch or sugar. However, physical and chemical
barriers caused by the close association of the main components of
lignocellulosic biomass hinder the hydrolysis of cellulose and hemicellulose to
fermentable sugars. For this reason, biomass must be pretreated to expose the
cellulose of the vegetable fibers. These processes intend to eliminate lignin
and hemicellulose, decrease cellulose crystallinity and increase the porosity of
lignocellulosic materials. Melon is one of the main horticultural crops of San
Juan Province, Argentina. From its industrialization, hundreds of tons of melon
husk are discarded, generating environmental problems. Since this material has
potential as second generation biofuel feedstock, a study for the enhancement of
sugars bioavailability for ethanol production is proposed. An acid pretreatment
with sulfuric acid, followed by enzymatic hydrolysis and fermentation was
applied. The most influential variables were determined and the optimal route to
use this residue as energy source is proposed.
This is an open access article
published under the terms of the
Creative Commons Attribution
License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and
reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is
properly cited.
Cite this article as:
Montoro ML, Mamaní A, Herrero ML, Sardella MF, Deiana AC (2018). Melon husks and
seeds as potential energy source. Acad. J. Environ. Sci. 6(11): 310-316.
