Use of Amaranth as Feedstock for Bioethanol Production Energy Postgraduate Conference 2013

1. Use of Amaranth as Feedstock for Bioethanol ProductionEnergy Postgraduate Conference 2013 Nqobile Xaba MSc student North-West University

2. Background • Biomass is considered one of the viable renewable energy resource. • Due to implications brought by the use of fossil derived fuels (elevation of greenhouse gases) • Biomass based fuels include bioethanol and biodiesel • Advantages of biofuels: wide availability, less impact on the environment, biodegradable. • Concerns: food vs. fuel, Use of protected land for biomass production, Depleting local water supplies, Cost of technology manufacturing and maintenance. • Lignocellulose as a "perfect" feedstock to address the above concerns Pretreatment yeast enzymes bacteria 1. Balat, M. 2011. Production of Bioethanol from Lignocellulose Materials via the Biochemical Pathway: A Review. Energy Conversion and Management, 52:858-875. 2. Srirangan, K., Akawi, L., Moo-Young, M. & Chou, C.P. 2012. Towards Sustainable Production of Clean Energy Carriers from Biomass Resource. Applied Energy.

3. Aims and Objectives Aim The aim of the project is to show the viability of amaranth as a sustainable feedstock for large scale bioethanol production in South Africa Objectives • Develop method to convert cellulose and hemicellulose from amaranth lignocellulose into fermentable sugars • Investigate the effect of parameters such as time, power and concentration of base on the pentose and hexose sugar yield during microwave pretreatment and hydrolysis • Investigate the conversion of fermentable pentose and hexose sugars liberated from amaranth lignocellulose to ethanol using suitable micro-organisms • Develop method to remove lignin from amaranth lignocellulose to be used for other bio-energy applications • Compare the use of a conventional microwave to that of an industrial microwave when used for pretreatment and hydrolysis of lignocellulose material from amaranth

4. Feedstock Classification Order: Caryophyllales Family: Amaranthaceae Sub-family: Amaranthoideae Genus: Amaranthus Species: AmaranthusCruentus Leaves Composition: protein (15 %), Fat (7%), total carbohydrates(63%), Fiber (2.9 %), ash (2.6 %) Contains vitamins A, K, B6, C, riboflavin and folate, and also high in minerals (Ca, Fe, Mg, P, K, Zn, Cu, Mn) Description Grain amaranth; C4 plant; Drought tolerant; Colour: maroon or crimson; Height: 1.5 m – 3 m Grain Small ( 0.9 – 1.7 mm diameter White, gold, brown and pink Composition: protein (13.1 – 21%), fat (5.6 -10.9%), starch (48-69%), fibre (3.1-5.0%), ash (2.5-4.4%) Composition Moisture (6.23-6.71 %), protein (13.2-17.6 %dmN × 6.25), fats (6.3-8.1%), fibre (3.4-5.3 %), ash (2.8-3.6 %) 1. Teutonico, R.A. & Knorr, D. 1985. AMARANTH: Composition, properties, and applications of a rediscovered food crop. Ecological Agriculture Projects. 2. Mlakar, S.G., Turinek, M., Jakop, M., Bavec, M. & Bavec, F. 2010. Grain Amaranth as an Alternative and Perspective Crop in Temperate Climate. Journal of Geography, 5 (1):135-145. 3. South Africa Department of Agriculture forestry & fisheries. 2010. Amaranthus Production Guideline. Retrieved 17 March 2012. from http://www.nda.agric.za/docs/Brochures/Amaranthus.pdf

5. Method Amaranth • Acid hydrolysis • 70% H2SO4 (3mL), digest for 2 h • Dilute to 87 mL and auctoclave at 121 oC for 1 h Solid residue Separated into stem and roots, washed, dried, milled (<1 cm) Enzymatic hydrolysis Microwave Pretreatment Reduced sugars Analysis Fermentation Bioethanol Multiwave PRO microwave Power: 100-1000 W Time: 5 – 20 min Pressure: 60 bar vs Domestic microwave

8. Conclusion • Composition analysis of amaranthuscruentusshowed that amaranth is a viable feedstock for bioethanol production • Alkaline pretreatment showed that Ca(OH)2 is a proper base to use for high total sugar yields • Increasing the power of the microwave increases total sugar yields and time does not affect concentration of sugars at low power (100W) • The structural analysis (FTIR) of the biomass residue showed that these bases have an effect on removal of lignin

9. Acknowledgements • My supervisor Prof. S. Marx for support and guidance • Dr I. Chiyandzu and Mr C. Schabort for their assistance • Mr G. van Rensburg for assistance in the laboratory • Mrs E. De Koker for administrative assistance • Dr A. Jordan for SEM analysis • The biofuels group for support • The National Research Foundation and North West University for funding.

10. References • Balat, M. 2011. Production of Bioethanol from Lignocellulose Materials via the Biochemical Pathway: A Review. Energy Conversion and Management,52:858-875. • Srirangan, K., Akawi, L., Moo-Young, M. & Chou, C.P. 2012. Towards Sustainable Production of Clean Energy Carriers from Biomass Resource. Applied Energy. • Teutonico, R.A. & Knorr, D. 1985. AMARANTH: Composition, properties, and applications of a rediscovered food crop. Ecological Agriculture Projects. • Mlakar, S.G., Turinek, M., Jakop, M., Bavec, M. & Bavec, F. 2010. Grain Amaranth as an Alternative and Perspective Crop in Temperate Climate. Journal of Geography, 5 (1):135-145. • South Africa Department of Agriculture forestry & fisheries. 2010. Amaranthus Production Guideline. Retrieved 17 March 2012. from http://www.nda.agric.za/docs/Brochures/Amaranthus.pdf

11. Thank you