Abstract

The use of guinea corn husk and millet husk (agricultural waste with no appreciable value to industries or competitive use as food) as alternative and cost-effective feed stock for the production of bioethanol was examined. The methods used, included: acid hydrolysis with 2.5 M H₂SO₄, and simultaneous saccharification and fermentation with Aspergillus niger and Zymomonas mobilisisolated from soil and palm wine, respectively. Ethanol yield from guinea corn husk (26.83 g/l) and millet husk (18.31 g/l) was maximum at 120^th h and with ethanol concentrations of 67.7 and 63.8%, respectively. The least ethanol concentration of 30% was obtained with A. niger on millet husk. A. niger and Z. mobilis may be better organisms for ethanol production from Guinea corn husk and millet husk.

Key words: Guinea corn husk, millet husk, hydrolysis, saccharification, fermentation, distillation.