An innovative concept for industrial sugarcane processing enhances polysaccharide utilization in first- and second-generation integrated biorefineries

This work exploited the concept of mechanical fractionation of sugarcane stalks prior to processing in an integrated biorefinery. The use of four sugarcane hybrids assured the broad evaluation of sugarcane genotypes. In all cases, the outermost region of the stalk contained denser tissue, which was suitable for burning in cogeneration systems. In contrast, the core cane was processed for sucrose extraction, which generated a less recalcitrant...