Monday, May 2, 2011
Grand Ballroom C-D, 2nd fl (Sheraton Seattle)
Effective analytical techniques are an important component to more efficient production of chemicals and bioproducts from diverse lignocellulosic biomass. On-line monitoring of carbohydrates, ethanol and by-products during fermentation was studied using Raman and other spectroscopic methods. Detection and quantification was achieved for many compounds commonly analyzed during bioethanol production, highlighting the potential for development of sensors at key points in processing to evaluate composition of various process streams and to improve overall product yields. Raman and IR spectroscopy of sugars in solution have shown that the sugars and other components present in lignocellulosic biomass each produce a distinct “fingerprint”. These spectra can then be resolved using principle component analysis (PCA) and other chemometric techniques to classify the individual sugars and related molecules in solution. After performing PCA analysis to identify the different sugars in a mixture design, the concentration of each sugar can be modeled using partial least squares (PLS). The effect of reactive compounds like lignin on the carbohydrate spectra, as well as the quantification of complex mixtures of carbohydrates was also examined. Spectroscopic analysis of carbohydrates and alcohols in solution promises to be an effective method to quickly and accurately determine the concentration of process compounds in line, allowing increased process control and automation.