Recycling waste paper through the fermentation process for bioethanol Production as a renewable gasoline additive

Abstract

In the work, discharged paper  products were utilized to produce bioethanol using physicochemical treatment. This solid waste was subjected to the treatment with dilute sulfuric acid at varying concentrations and ratios to release a substantial amount of monosaccharides, which were subsequently fermented into bioethanol by S. cerevisiae. The best yield was obtained at a concentration of 1.5% acid at a ratio 1 gm/10 mL (solid to acid solution) that yielded 32%. To increase the purity of the bioethanol, distillation and molecular sieve as a drying agent were utilized, resulting in a bioethanol concentration of 98%. The produced bioethanol was characterized using FTIR and NMR spectroscopy. In addition, the bioethanol was blended with regular gasoline at different ratios to produce E0, E6, E8, E10 and E12 mixtures. The ASTM method was used to evaluate these mixtures, including RVP, RON, density and water content. It was observed that RVP values decreased while the density increased with increasing ethanol content in the mixture. However, the water content and RON of bioethanol-gasoline blends increased gradually with the addition of ethanol. The important aspect of this study is the production of bioethanol using an available and cheap feedstock using optimal conditions.