Producción de azúcares a partir de los residuos de las hojas y cogollos de la caña de azúcar mediante procesos de explosión de vapor e hidrólisis enzimática

Abstract

The production of biofuels from lignocellulosic biomass represents a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels. In this study, the obtention of fermentable sugars from sugarcane leaf and bud waste was evaluated by means of steam explosion with recirculation and enzymatic hydrolysis. Six recirculation cycles (M0-M6) were applied at 180 °C for 1 second, analyzing the lignocellulosic composition of the solid fraction and performing a mass balance to determine the distribution of compounds in the liquid fraction. From this, total sugars and degradation products are quantified. The results indicated that sample M2 had the lowest lignin content (16.05%) and the highest cellulose concentration (51.94%), which favored enzymatic hydrolysis. The maximum concentration of sugars (72.09 g/L) was reached in M2 at 6 hours, but subsequently decreased due to the presence of inhibitors such as hydroxymethylfurfural (0.71 g/L) and furfural (0.60 g/L), especially in M3. It is concluded that two recirculations optimize the production of sugars, while from M3 onwards, a reduction is observed due to the accumulation of degradation products. These findings evidence the importance of controlling recirculation to maximize process efficiency and reduce inhibitor formation, raising opportunities for future research.