Progress in fuel ethanol production from lignocellulosic biomass

This paper describes the current utilization,composition and structure of lignocellulose and the general process of fuel ethanol production from lignocellulosic biomass. Key processes including pretreatment,hydrolysis,fermentation and distillation are discussed. Advantages and disadvantages of different methods,as well as the present status and developing trends of corresponding technologies are analyzed. Promising prospects of ethanol production in cost reduction and conversion improvement from lignocellulose fermentation are especially introduced. Prospects and challenges are considered to be the isolation methods of high cellulose-producing microorganisms , advanced pretreatment technologies,ways for overcoming cellulase inhibition and mutagenesis,and molecular techniques for thermophilic or thermotolerant yeasts.