HARVESTING ENERGY FROM AGRICULTURAL WASTE

Wheat straw corn stalks and hazelnut husks which are abundant agricultural waste products in Turkey could be valuable raw materials for bioethanol production. After harvest these raw materials are usually left in the fields and burned which decreases the biological activity of the soil and causes air pollution. Through the use of innovative biotechnology these waste materials may be valuable in generating economic benefits as well as environmental dividends. The main objective of this study was to examine the suitability of these wastes for bioethanol production and to compare pretreatment techniques with regard to their efficiencies. In this study wheat straw corn stalks and hazelnut husks were first steam exploded and then chemically treated to achieve efficient hydrolysis. The conventional chemicals of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) sulfuric acid (H2SO4) hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and an alternative chemical sodium borohydrate (NaBH4) were utilized for the first time ever in the chemical treatment procedure.