EVALUATION OF HYDROLYSIS CONDITIONS OF CELLULOSIC MATERIALS BY PENICILLIUM CELLULASE

The conditions of hydrolysis of 'skop' (short fiber waste material fro m the paper industry) and cellolignin (waste of industrial furfural pr oduction) by the cellulase system from Penicillium sp. in a batch reac tor have been evaluated The optimal conditions were: enzyme (filter pa per activity) - 1.7 U/ml, skop - 100 g/l, cellolignin - 150 g/l, pH 4. 5, temperature 50 degrees C. Agitation was essential for cellolignin b ut not essential for skop hydrolysis. Studies of fed-batch process of saccharification of both substrates by three cellulase preparations (f rom Penicillium sp., Trichoderma reesei and combined preparations of T . reesei and Aspergillus foetidus) have shown that the highest sacchar ification activity was demonstrated by Penicillium cellulase. Penicill ium cellulase was able to hydrolyze, during 48 h, three portions of sk op or cellolignin with a degree of cellulose conversion to glucose of 68-84% and final glucose concentrations of 93-98 g/l. The use of fed-b atch saccharification decreased consumption of enzyme and increased th e final glucose concentration compared to batch hydrolysis. The role o f different factors in decreased rate of skop and cellolignin hydrolys is by Penicillium cellulase in the course of reaction has been evaluat ed. The main factors influencing the efficiency of saccharification we re decrease of skop and cellolignin reactivity during hydrolysis and i nhibition of enzymes by glucose and cellobiose.