PRODUCTION OF BIOETHANOL FROM BANANA WASTE

Abstract

Global interest in sustainable energy drives the search for alternative methods, given the scarcity of fossil fuels. In Brazil, bioethanol is mainly produced from the sucrose in sugarcane, but the use of productive land has been questioned. This study evaluated the production of bioethanol from banana waste, focusing on the ideal Brix level for fermentation. Bananas were fermented for 24, 48, 72, and 96 hours with Brix levels of 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20%. The yield of the distillate (η) ranged from 0.16 to 0.60 mL/g, the yield of the vinasse (η') ranged from 2.60 to 3.77 mL/g, and the overall yield (η'') ranged from 0.04 to 0.18. The highest distillate yield was after 72 hours of fermentation and 5% Brix. It is concluded that the process efficiency critically depends on fermentation time and initial Brix level, highlighting the need for further optimization to improve ethanol production.

Keywords: Bioethanol, banana residues, fermentation, Saccha romyces cerevisiae, and sustainability.