This study aims efficient conversion of cotton stalks to cellulosic ethanol through ionic liquid pretreatment and enhanced enzymatic hydrolysis. Among several ionic liquids, EMIMAc exhibited the most striking impact on cotton stalks with respect to the changes in biomass structure and digestibility. Cotton stalks, which were subjected to EMIMAc pretreatment at 10% (w cotton stalks/w EMIMAc) of biomass loading and 150&deg / C for 30 minutes, were found to be 9 times more digestible than untreated cotton stalks. Besides, glucose and ethanol yields, which were based on the cellulose content of untreated cotton stalks, were found as 67% and 66%, respectively. These yields were insufficient regarding efficient conversion of the cellulosic portion of cotton stalks to glucose and ethanol which is linked to the superior solvation capability of EMIMAc towards biomass. In order to enhance aforementioned yields, EMIMAc pretreatment was conducted at 30% of biomass loading. Though lignin extracted was much lower, higher yields were obtained compared to the former case since 96% of cellulose was recovered upon EMIMAc pretreatment and reduced crystallinity was observed for pretreated biomass. Glucose yield was achieved as 84% even at a substrate loading of 15% (w/v). Additionally, 76% of ethanol yield and 3% (v/v) of ethanol titer were obtained upon fermentation. Accordingly, reduction in biomass crystallinity was satisfactory to improve enzymatic accessibility of the biomass. Besides, EMIMAc maintained its effectiveness as a pretreatment agent upon recycling since no change in terms of hydrolysis of pretreated samples was observed upon EMIMAc recycling for three times.

In Ägypten überwintern in den Baumwollresten Insekten wie der rosafarbene Kapselwurm, der verschiedene Nutzpflanzen befällt. Insbesondere der Befall von Baumwolle verursacht große Verluste in Menge und Qualität der Baumwollernte, so dass die Landwirte vom Ministerium für Landwirtschaft verpflichtet worden sind, diese Reste auf dem Feld nach der Ernte sofort zu verbrennen, um diese Insekten zu töten. Unter der starken Rauchentwicklung dieser konzentrierten Verbrennungsaktion hatten vor allem Kairo und die umliegenden Regionen zu leiden, was wiederum zur Folge hatte, dass das ägyptische Umweltministerium das Verbrennen gänzlich verbot. Diese widersprüchlichen Verfügungen verunsichern die Landwirten, sie lagern diese Reste wieder oder verbrennen sie illegal. Die Technologie der Brikettierung erscheint als eine vorteilhafte Lösung für die Handhabung der Baumwollreste in Ägypten. Der Druck und die Temperatur während des Pressvorgangs vernichten den Baumwollschädling. Durch diesen Prozess kann ein billiger, lagerfähiger und umweltfreundlicher Biobrennstoff produziert werden als einen häuslichen Brennstoff für die ägyptischen ländlichen Bereiche. / In Egypt, cotton residues serve as an over wintering site for insects such as pink bollworm which develop in these residues and attack nearby or the following crops. This causes valuable losses in the quantity and the quality of the cotton crop so much, so that the farmers have been obliged by the Ministry of Agriculture to burn these residues on the field immediately after the harvest operation in order to kill these insects and to prevent growth of other disease carriers. As a result, a huge amount of harmful gases and clouds of smoke covers the sky above Cairo and the surrounding regions and has thus led to both environmental pollution and adverse effects for human health. As a result of this, the Ministry of the Environment established a law preventing the farmers burning these residues on the fields. Due to this confusion in laws, the farmers began to store these residues once again or burn them illegally on the fields. The briquetting technology appears as an advantageous solution for the handling of the cotton stalk residues in Egypt. Through this process a cheap, storable, pest controlled and environmentally friendly biofuel can be produced as a complementary domestic fuel for the Egyptian rural areas.