Bio-ethanol production by fermentation of ricotta cheese whey as an effective alternative non-vegetable source

Sascha Sansonetti, Stefano Curcio, Vincenza Calabrò, Gabriele Iorio

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

Abstract

The aim of the present paper is to investigate the feasibility of bio-ethanol production by batch fermentation of ricotta cheese whey (‘‘Scotta’’), a dairy industry waste characterized by lactose concentration ranging from 4.5% to 5.0% (w/w) and, with respect to traditional (raw) whey, by much lower protein content. Scotta, therefore, could represent an effective non-vegetable source for renewable energy production. The microrganism used to carry out the fermentation processes was the yeast Kluyveromyces marxianus. Preliminary experiments, performed in aerobic conditions on different volumes of scotta, have shown the actual growth of the yeast. The subsequent fermentation experiments were carried out, in anaerobic conditions, on three different substrates: scotta, raw cheese whey and deproteinized whey. The experimental data have demonstrated the process feasibility: scotta is an excellent substrate for fermentation and exhibits better performance with respect to both raw cheese whey and deproteinized whey. Complete lactose consumption, indeed, was observed in the shortest time (13 h) and with the highest ethanol yield (97% of the theoretical value).
Keyword: Biofuel,Lactose,Fermentation,Ricotta cheese whey,Kluyveromyces,Bio-ethanol,Ethanol
Original languageEnglish
JournalBiomass & Bioenergy
Volume33
Pages (from-to)1687-1692
ISSN0961-9534
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2009
Externally publishedYes

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