Comprehensive utilization and conversion of lignocellulosic biomass for the production of long chain α,ω-dicarboxylic acids

Corn stover and rice straw were comprehensively utilized and converted to α,ω-dicarboxylic acids (DCAs), highly valuable platform chemicals, by a combination of biological and chemical processes in order to make the process more economically competitive. They were pretreated with sodium hydroxide, then hydrolyzed with the cellulase from the on-site enzyme production by co-culture of Trichoderma reesei C10 and Aspergillus niger NL02. Glucose and xylose, main fermentable sugars produced, were converted by Mortierella isabellina to single cell oil (SCO). Subsequently, the unsaturated fatty acids from the SCO were transformed by metathesis to long chain DCAs. Overall, 115.7 g of corn stover could produce 4.2 g of DCAs, 4.2 g of alkenes, 4.1 g of saturated fatty acids, 4.9 g of glycerol and 9.3 g of lignin whereas 117.1 g of rice straw could produce 3.2 g of DCAs, 3.2 g of alkenes, 2.7 g of saturated fatty acids, 3.6 g of glycerol and 9.8 g of lignin. The DCAs production from lignocelluloses was successfully established and showed promising results in industry. Thus, this comprehensive utilization of agricultural residues is greatly meaningful to countries such as China which have high food demand and facing environmental problem due to abundance of agricultural waste.