Application of a statistical technique to the production of ethanol from sugar beet molasses by Saccharomyces cerevisiae

In this work, a statistical model which can be used to describe the rate of ethanol production from sugar beet molasses by Saccharomyces cerevisiae was developed. Total sugar concentration, pH, and ammonium dihydrogen phosphate (NH4H2PO4) concentration were chosen as a 2(3)-factorial experimental design and the effects of these factors on ethanol production were examined in repeated shake flask cultures according to the Box-Wilson experimental design method. With the use of the developed model a maximum ethanol production of 1.06 g dm(-3) h(-1) was obtained when sugar concentration, pH, ammonium dihydrogen phosphate concentration, were 1.6 g dm(-3), 4.51, 0.72 g dm(-3), respectively. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.