Bioethanol Production From Sugarcane Bagasse Hemicellulose Hydrolysate by Immobilized S. shehatae in a Fluidized Bed Fermenter Under Magnetic Field

Bioethanol production from sugarcane bagasse hemicellulosic hydrolysate using immobilized Scheffersomyces shehatae on magnetic biosupports in a fluidized bed bioreactor assisted by magnetic field has been studied. Fermentations were carried out in two experimental setups operating in a magnetically stabilized bed mode with transversal and axial magnetic field lines at 8 and 12 kA/m, respectively. The best results were attained when experiments were carried out using a fermenter assisted by axial field whose ethanol/substrate yield and ethanol productivity were 0.15 ± 0.8E-3 g/g and 0.055 ± 0.3E-3 g/gh. These values were 12 and 34%, respectively, higher than those observed in fermentations with transversal field lines (Tukey’s test, p < 0.05). Thus, these results are attractive and can be considered as a technological advance in the bioethanol production from biomass using this unconventional fermentation technology.