Variations in structure and saccharification efficiency of biomass of different sorghum varieties subjected to aqueous ammonia and glycerol pretreatments

Sorghum biomass is a potential feedstock for lignocellulosic bioethanol production. The selection of suitable sorghum variety essential to obtain high ethanol yield. In this paper we screened varieties belonging sweet sorghum, post rainy and hybrid sorghum. These were based on their agronomic traits, amenability pretreatment methods, enzymatic digestibility. was pretreated using glycerol (60 %) at 190 ?C 60 min aqueous ammonia (15 120 min. digestibility the determined commercial cellulase (Cellic CTec2) 10U/g loading, structural changes in analyzed by spectroscopy scanning electron microscopy. Sweet showed significant variations phenotypic traits such as fresh stalk yield, dry fodder juice cellulose among after also differed significantly. levels range from 64 % 89 63 81 %. total sugar yields varied 227 mg/g 356 209 313 with glycerol, respectively. Although delignification higher (31%–65%) than pretreatment, biomass. results indicated that effect trivial. This study explores factors affecting maximum yield cellulosic process.