초록
<P><B>Abstract</B></P><P><B>Aims: </B> To determine whether corncob residue (CCR) could be a good substrate for butanol production.</P><P><B>Methods and Results: </B> In this study, Ca(OH)<SUB>2</SUB> detoxification technique was used to remove inhibitors of lignocellulose enzymatic hydrolysis. During fermentation of untreated corncob residue hydrolysate (CCRH) by <I>Clostridium beijerinckii</I> NCIMB 8052, cell growth was inhibited and only 3·8 g l<SUP>−1</SUP> acetone, butanol and ethanol (ABE) was produced. After pretreatment with Ca(OH)<SUB>2</SUB>, enzymatic hydrolysis of CCR resulted in 49·3 g l<SUP>−1</SUP> total sugars, about twofold of that of untreated one. In the fermentation of the Ca(OH)<SUB>2</SUB>‐detoxified CCRH, sugar utilization ratio was increased by 27·3%. When using the Ca(OH)<SUB>2</SUB>‐detoxified CCRH supplemented with 10 g l<SUP>−1</SUP> glucose, 16·0 g l<SUP>−1</SUP> ABE was produced, resulting in an ABE yield of 0·32 and a productivity of 0·33 g l<SUP>−1</SUP> h<SUP>−1</SUP>.</P><P><B>Conclusion: </B> The results in this study suggest that CCR was a good carbon source for ABE fermentation.</P><P><B>Significance and Impact of the Study: </B> It is the first time to use CCR as substrate for butanol production. Ca(OH)<SUB>2</SUB> detoxification pretreatment was proved to be an effective method to improve enzymatic digestibility of lignocellulose.</P>