ABSTRACT
To utilize the economic benefits of elephant grass (pennisetum purpereum) and exploit its potential as biomass for glucose production, the kinetic model for the production of glucose from the grass was investigated at the optimum conditions of hydrolysis (pH 4.5, temperature 45 oC, time 24 hours). The grass was characterized, pretreated and then hydrolyzed using Aspergillus niger. The effects of particles size (75 - 600 μm), substrate concentration (5 - 100 g/l) and cell loading (0.1 - 1.0 g) were also investigated. Optimum hydrolysis conditions gave the yield of 82.6 % (w/w) glucose. The kinetic model rate expression was tested for the process based on the Michaelis - Menten?s kinetics and the kinetic parameters were evaluated from the Lineweaver -Burk plots. The Kinetic parameters - maximum rate of reaction, rmax, and Michealis Menten?s constant km - obtained are 0.25*10-4 g.l-1.s-1 and 2.85 g.l-1 respectively. The model was developed and its reliability was tested with the experimental data. Comparison between the experimental data and those predicted from the rate model indicate good agreement with a correlation coefficient of 0.996.This shows reliability of the model in the design of bioreactor that could be used in the production of glucose from elephant grass.