ABSTRACT

Groundnut (Arachis Hypogaea) shell and carpet grass (Axonopus flexuosus) were assessed for bioethanol production using dilute acid hydrolysis (10 %, 15 % and 20 % H2SO4) and fermentation using yeast (saccharomyces cerevisiae). The percentage yields were determined to be 27.15 %, 19.69 % and 8.79 % for groundnut shell and 22.69 %, 13.92 % and 7.69 % for carpet grass respectively. The densities of the bioethanol produced were calculated to be 0.8072 g/cm3 for groundnut shell and 0.8303 g/cm3 for carpet grass respectively. The proximate analysis result of the groundnut shell and carpet grass were observed to be 84.74±0.81 and 81.16±2.63 percentage carbohydrate, this may be the reason why groundnut shell produced higher yield of bioethanol than carpet grass. Thus, groundnut shell and carpet grass have good potential  as sources of raw materials for bioethanol production.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITLE PAGEi

DECLARATIONii

CERTIFICATIONiii

DEDICATIONiv

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTv

ABSTRACTvii

TABLE OF CONTENTSviii

LIST OF TABLESxi

LIST OF FIGURESxi

CHAPTER ONE1

1.1Introduction1

1.1.1     Benefits of Bioethanol4

1.1.2    As a Solvent5

1.1.3    As a source of heat5

1.2Significance of Study6

1.3Statement of the Problem7

1.4Aim and Objectives of the Study7

1.5Scope of Study8

CHAPTER TWO9

2.1Literature Review9

CHAPTER THREE17

3.0 MATERIALS AND METHODOLOGY17

3.1Materials17

3.2Method18

3.2.1    Sample collection19

3.2.2     Pretreatment19

3.2.3     Preparation of solutions and Reagents19

3.2.4     Hydrolysis20

3.2.4.1   Steps Involved in Dilute Acid Hydrolysis20

3.2.5     pH adjustment21

3.2.6     Fermentation Process22

3.2.7     Simple Distilation22

3.2.8     Percentage Yield23

3.2.9     Density Determination23

3.3 Physico chemical analysis of the samples24

3.3.1     Moisture Content24

3.3.2     Ash Content24

3.3.3     Crude Fat25

3.3.4     Crude Fibre26

3.3.5     Crude Protein27

3.3.6     Crude Carbohydrate28

CHAPTER FOUR29

4.0       RESULTS, DISCUSSION, CUNCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION29

4.1Result and Discussion29

4.2Quantity of Bioethanol Produced29

4.3Percentage (%) Yield of Bioethanol Produced32

4.4Proximate Analysis of Groundnut shell and Carpet Grass33

4.5Density and Boiling Point of Bioethanol Produced34

4.6Bar Chart of Yield of Bioethanol from Groundnut Shell and Carpet Grass35

4.8Conclusions38

4.9Recommendations39

References40