Influences of pH, temperature, initial total soluble sugar concentration and particle stuffing rate on ethanol production from sugarcane juice by immobilised yeast

Batch ethanol fermentations using sugarcane juice with immobilised yeast were carried out in shaking flasks in order to investigate the influences of different pH values, temperatures, initial total soluble sugar concentrations and particle stuffing rates on ethanol productivity. The results showed that a suitable pH, temperature, initial total soluble sugar concentration and particle stuffing rate were 4.0, 32°C, 199.7 mg ml<SUP align="right">−1</SUP>, 20%, respectively. When these four conditions at the corresponding suitable value were applied as an integral group for fermentation, a higher ethanol productivity of 1.036 ml ml<SUP align="right">−1</SUP> hour<SUP align="right">−1</SUP>could be achieved. In addition, these four factors all have significant influence (p < 0.05) on the ethanol productivity.