Published Paper Details:

Study of fermentation kinetics in ethanol production from damaged corn grains is crucial aspect for economical yield enhancement. Two samples of corn flour, namely control and damaged, with different carbohydrate and fibrous content, were used as substrates. Samples were liquefied and saccharified using commercial ?-amylase and glucoamylase, for production of fermentable sugars; Amount of fermentable sugar obtained after hydrolysis of damaged and control corn grains were 97 gL-1and 127 gL-1 respectively. Enzyme hydrolysates were then fermented to produce ethanol in batch mode. Glucose was consumed promptly in both cases, control and damaged; ethanol production was considerably higher in control (56 g/L), compared to damaged (45 g/L). Submerged fermentation of damaged corn grains flour represented about 80 % of total ethanol production, when fine corn grains flour was used as substrate. In damaged corn flour ethanol productivity and yield was 1.12 g/L/h and 0.18 g/g flour respectively. In control corn flour ethanol productivity and yield was 1.16 g/L/h and 0.22 g/g flour. Maximum sugar consumption rate (Sm) for damaged and control corn were 3.22 g. (L .h)-1 and 3.2 g. (L .h) -1 respectively. Maximum product formation rate for damaged and control corn (Pm) were 1.38g. (L .h)-1 and 1.35g. (L .h) -1 respectively. Fermentation efficiency of damaged and control corn grains were 91.3% and 91.7%.