Quality Assessment Of The Bioethanol Derived From Cassava Peel And Fermented Cassava Starch Liquor

Abstract

The bioethanol produced from cassava peel (Manihot esculanta cranz) and its applications to industrial processes was investigated. Two modes of hydrolysis were adopted for the liquefaction of the gelatinized sample of the cassava peel: acid and enzyme hydrolysis. 0.1 – 1 M H2SO4 and HCl were used in-turn to hydrolyze the gelatinized sample as well as Alpha-amylase and Gluco-amylase enzymes. Both the acid and enzyme hydrolyzates were subjected to fermentation process using industrial baker’s yeast (Saccaromycescerevisea). For the acid hydrolysis, different experimental conditions such as reaction temperature (100 o c), reaction time (60 min.), and acid concentrations (1.0 M) were examined in order to establish the best conditions for the hydrolysis. The yield of bioethanol obtained using H2SO4 was 20.7 % and noticed to be higher than that of HCl which was 15.62 % under the same experimental conditions. However, the yield of bioethanol obtained via enzyme hydrolysis after fermentation was observed to be 21.62 %, which was higher than the yields obtained from acid hydrolysis. The physicochemical properties of the bioethanol derived from the cassava peel indicated that the flash point of the liquid fuel was 40oC, Refractive index as 1.358 and pH of 5.38 All these values conformed to those of the conventional ethanol which showed values for flash point as 38 oC, Refractive index of 1.360 and pH of 4.68. Functional group of the derived bioethanol shows O-H functional group around 3600- 2400cm-1 , C-H(1470-1350 cm-1 ) and C-O(1320-1000cm-1 ). The viability of the in-house derived-bioethanol for the production of some household products such as aftershave, hand sanitizer and disinfectant was investigated and found suitable as base chemical for the industrial production of these commodities. The quality assessment of these household products showed that cassava derived bioethanol is a promising feedstock for the industrial production of these products and their allied