Utilization of stillages from bioethanol production from various substrates

Abstract

Stillage is a main by-product of the bioethanol industry and, depending on the origin of substrates for bioethanol production, it can be a significant pollutant affecting the profitability of bioethanol production. Directing the stillage towards the production of bio-based chemicals or high-quality feed is a preferred strategy. In this paper, a complete utilization of stillages of different origins was assessed. Thin stillages from bioethanol production from molasses, wasted bread and corn were chemically characterized, evaluated and compared as substrates for lactic acid (LA) and probiotic biomass production by Lactobacillus rhamnosus ATCC 7469, while solid fractions of wasted bread and corn stillages were analyzed for feed. The impact of pH control using CaCO3 or NaOH was also examined, both in terms of LA production and valorization of the remains generated in each process. A maximal LA productivity of 1.14 g/(L h) was obtained on thin wasted bread stillage with pH control by NaOH while the number of viable probiotic bacterial cells was above 10(9) CFU/mL. The composition of the solid fraction of the wasted bread stillage was complementary with the needs of monogastric animals, while the solid fraction of corn stillage was more adequate for the nutritional requirements of ruminants.