Babassu coconut starch liquefaction: an industrial scale approach to improve conversion yield

The mesocarp of the babassu coconut, that represents 23% of the fruit weigh t, is the source of an amylaceous flour containing approximately 50% (w/w) starch. The mechanical processing of the coconut produces the babassu flour , which is a mixture of small starch particles and fibers. This work report s a series of experiments carried out, in an ethanol production industrial plant, to investigate the effect of the following parameters and operation conditions on the conversion yield of starch to dextrose: specific amount o f the enzyme alpha-amylase, gelatinization procedure, fibers content, speci fic amount of calcium oxide and raw hour comminution. The results show that , among the process modifications investigated, hour comminution is essenti al to raise the industrial conversion yield from 90% to 97%. (C) 2000 Elsev ier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.