PRODUCTION OF ETHANOL FROM BREADFRUIT (Artocapus communis) AND ITS ECONOMIC VIABILITY FOR SMALL-SCALE INDUSTRY

Abstract

Ethanol (C H OH) is a primary alcohol which is produced by fermentation, using any of the sources of 2 5
carbohydrates such as sugarcane, cassava, grains and yam tubers among others. Therefore this study
was conducted using breadfruit as alternative source for ethanol production. This is with a view of
making ethanol to be available and economically cheap for small-scale industry. The fruits were
peeled, cut into bits, sundried and ground into powder with mortar and sieved with a 2 mm size sieve.
The starch in breadfruit was hydrolysed into fermentable sugar, using acid hydrolysis. The
fermentable sugar was converted into ethanol by fermentation process at pH 4.5 using fermenting
brewer`s yeast (Saccharomyces calsbergensis). Starch, glucose and ethanol which were obtained
were analysed for physicochemical properties. Findings revealed that the powdered breadfruit
samples gave a blue-black colouration on addition of few drops of iodine solution. This confirmed that
the carbohydrate content is mainly starch. On calculation of viability, findings further showed that,
breadfruit is a good raw material for production of ethanol, therefore indigenous production of ethanol
obtained from the breadfruit is economically viable. Although, breadfruit cannot be stored for long,
but it can be preserved by sun dried and crushed into powdered form which can be used for the
preparation of useful materials and chemicals mostly ethanol. This will save the country from lot of
money spent annually on the importation of ethanol and it can also provide job opportunity for many
wandering and unemployed Nigerians.