Biorefining of whole cotton plant residues for bioethanol production with greenhouse gas emission reduction and social carbon benefits
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: This study evaluated the potential of cotton-processing residues, including leaves, bolls, linters, and stalks, as feedstocks for bioethanol production using ethanol-based organosolv pretreatment. Biomass samples were pretreated with 65 % (v/v) ethanol at 120, 150, and 180 °C for 30 and 60 min, followed by enzymatic hydrolysis and fermentation. Organosolv pretreatment altered biomass composition through partial removal of hemicellulose and enrichment of glucan in the recovered solids, which was associated with improved enzymatic digestibility and ethanol production. The highest hydrolysis efficiencies reached 75.4 %, 80.2 %, 83.0 %, and 79.9 % for leaves, bolls, linters, and stalks, respectively. Correspondingly, the highest ethanol yields were obtained from leaves (70.8 %) and stalks (61.1 %) after pretreatment at 180 °C for 30 min, while maximum yields of 42.3 % and 42.6 % were achieved for bolls and linters, respectively. The results demonstrated that pretreatment severity significantly influenced both hydrolysis and fermentation performance, although the optimal conditions varied among biomass fractions. Greenhouse gas reduction calculations estimated that replacing gasoline with E85, E10, and E5 ethanol–gasoline blends could reduce emissions by 55.7 %, 4.9 %, and 2.4 %, respectively. In addition, the social cost of carbon analysis indicated substantial reductions in the social cost of carbon emissions, with the highest benefit obtained from boll-derived bioethanol due to its greater production potential. These findings demonstrate that cotton-processing residues represent a promising lignocellulosic resource for bioethanol production while supporting agricultural waste valorization and greenhouse gas mitigation.
Source: Fuel
Language: English
Subfield: Biomedical Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,330
OpenAlex ID: W7214062108