Synthesis of bioethanol from cellulose empty fruit bunches of palm oil using simultaneous saccharification and fermentation method

The bioconversion process of lignocellulose materials into biofuels provides a positive prospect for replacing fossil fuel products and has low carbon emissions. Lignocellulose-based bioethanol material has been successfully prepared from empty fruit bunches (EFB) using the Simultaneous Saccharification and Fermentation (SSF) method. The first stage was carried out by determining the cellulose levels of EFB with data analysis on the Chesson-Datta method. EFB was treated for delignification using a bioactivator containing Phanerochaete chrysosporium and 4% NaOH 1 M, where the ground EFB as starting material was immersed into the solution for 72 hours. The next stage was hydrolysis, where acid-base hydrolysis was performed using variations of acid (HCl 2%, H2SO4 2%) and base concentration (NaOH 5% and 10%). The acid-base hydrolysis was followed by enzymatic hydrolysis using xylanase enzymes for acid and cellulase enzymes for base, to break down cellulose into fermentable sugars. The samples were analyzed using the DNS method to determine the glucose content formed. The next stage was anaerobic fermentation with Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which would convert glucose into ethanol compounds. The fermented ethanol was determined by stoichiometry. The stoichiometry analysis result showed the highest glucose concentration was obtained by using NaOH 10%, which produced glucose content within a range of 2.98 - 2.99 mg/mL while the highest ethanol content was obtained by using variable NaOH 10% with the addition of 4 mL cellulase enzyme, reached ethanol content 1.17 mg/mL.