EthanolProductionfromPalmInflorescenceSaps

forBiofuelsandEthanolBasedProducts
NeilJ.Melencion,PhD
PhilippineCoconutAuthority
Abstract

The feasibility of using coconut (Cocos nucifera L) inflorescence sap as feedstock for smallscale ethanol production was evaluated. Collected
coconut toddies were fermented from 2 to 7 days and were distilled separately using several PCAdesigned and fabricated pot stills and a
continuous reflux column condenser with steam heated boiler. Optimum ethanol recovery rates were observed to occur between 35 days
of natural aerobic fermentation. Ethanol purities of 75% and 95% were attained using locally fabricated stainlesssteel pot stills and
continuous reflux column still, respectively. Production of anhydrous ethanol (99.5%) was made possible using molecular sieve zeolite 3A.
Fuelgrade sap ethanol was used in blending different cocoethanolgasoline mixtures (E20, E30 & E50). Performances of these three ethanol
blends were tested on an old twostroke motorcycle (YAMAHA DT125). The motorcycles carburetor timing (airfuel ratio) was adjusted in
every ethanolgasoline mixture to compensate for the changes in the fuel burning properties. All three fuel blends were observed to
satisfactorily run the test motorcycle. E50 fuel blend, however, was observed to create clogging of fuel filter. Other ethanolbased products
like hand sanitizers, cologne, perfumes, and distilled liquor were explored and were observed to give coconut farmer higher income than
CoconutPalm fuel ethanol. Technology transfer has been performed to several groups (barangaybased) for their livelihood programs in Zamboanga City,
Steamboiler
Philippines.

Nipa (Nypha fruticans Wurmb) palm was likewise evaluated as ethanol feedstock. Sap collections (without prior peduncle treatments) were
done on peduncles which already carry fruits containing solid endosperm with gellike consistency. Sap yields among nipa palms were
irregular but levelled off at 8001000mL per day. Twice daily shaving of peduncles (morning and afternoon) done to increase the sap yield.

Keywords: Cocoethanol, coconut inflorescence sap, fermented sap, nipa ethanol

NipaPalm RefluxColumn
BIOFUELS Condenser

CocobasedLiquor EthanolblendedGasoline&Kerosene HandSanitizers

INTRODUCTION
Coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) is one of the most cultivated crops in the country with about 338 million palms planted in 3.55M hectares of land (2013). Despite of its popularity, economic conditions of
coconut farmers and coconut workers remain poor and marginalized due to the dependency ethanol) to copra as sole product. Of the many promising products from coconut, harvesting of coconut
toddy for ethanol production was never been popularized anywhere in the country except in some areas in Southern Tagalog and LeyteSamar regions.
Coconut toddy is sweet and contains up to 18% sugar (mainly sucrose, fructose, and glucose). These sugars can be fermented to ethanol with the addition of Saccharomyces cerevisiae or by naturally
occurring organisms during sap collection. With no readily available still (distillation apparatus) in the market, toddy production in most places the Philippines are mostly for tuba and vinegar products.
In places where coconut sugar is produced, a sizeable volume of toddy nonsugar grade toddy is still available for ethanol production (5 p.m. to 6 a.m. sap collection period). It was therefore envisioned
that through this study, coconut farmers can be provided with toddy fermentation protocol optimized for ethanol production, pot still, and reflux condenser designs, a template for a villagescale ethanol
processing, and technologies in making distilled liqueur, hand sanitizers, colognes, and other ethanolbased products.
Nipa palm (Nypha fruticans Wurmb) also produces sugarcontaining sap from its inflorescence. It is naturally occurring in some mangrove areas in the Philippines covering about 400,000 hectares (DENR
data). Its sap is marginally utilized in some areas for distilled liquor (lambanog) and vinegar production. Utilizing nipa sap as feedstock for biofuel production is yet to be evaluated.

OBJECTIVES
1. Toassessthesuitabilityofproducingethanolfromsapderivedfromwoundedinflorescencesofcoconut,andpedunclesofnipaandsugarpalms.
2. Todevelopsimpleethanoldistillers(potstillandcolumnreflux)andrelatedmachineriesforbioethanolproduction.
3. Todevelopethanolbasedproductsforcoconutfarmersadoptionandcommercialization.

MATERIALSANDMETHODS
Toddyproduction,fermentation,anddistillation
Ten(10)coconutpalmswereselectedfortoddytapping.Toddieswerethennaturallyfermentedanddistilledbybatchesofupto7daysfermentation.Ethanolrecoveryandpuritywere
recorded.
Nipasamplepalmswereselectedbasedonfruitmaturity(endosperm:gellikeconsistency).Fruitbuncheswerecutoffandpeduncleswerecut.Nopedunclepreparation(kicking,hammering,
etc.)weredonepriortotapping.Collectedsapwereallowedtofermentforone(1)weekpriortodistillation.Ethanolrecoverywerelikewiserecorded.
Developmentofpotstillandrectifyingcolumn
Smallpotstills(ethanoldistillers)weredevelopedatPCAZRCbasedonavailabledesignsusingstainlesssteelplatesandcoppertubes.Arectifyingcolumn/refluxcondenserwasfabricated
basedonCharles803design.

RESULTSANDDISCUSSION
1.CoconutPalm
Ethanolyieldswereobservedtooccurbetween35daysofnatural
aerobicfermentation
Ethanolyieldswereobservedtobedependentonpotstilldesignand
firingrate.Highervolumetricrateswererecordedwhenpotdistillers
werefiredrapidlybutitscorrespondingethanolpuritywaslow.
Conversely,whenthepotstillisheatedslowly,lowvolumetricethanol
yieldswererecordedbutwithhigherpurity.
ModifiedCharles803rectifyingcolumncanproduceupto95%ethanol
purity
Computedethanolyields(inabsoluteterms)inanyofthePCApot
distillersandcolumnrefluxcondenserwerebetween46%fromthe
initialfermentedtoddyvolume.
2.Nipa
Sapyieldsofnipawereobservedtobeerratic.Somenipapeduncles(no
mechanicaltreatments)producedbetween8001,000mLofsap.
SUMMARYANDCONCLUSIONS
Sapsfromcoconut,nipa,andsugarpalmaregoodfeedstocks
forethanolproduction.
Bettermonetarygainscanbeattainedifcocoethanolissoldas
handsanitizers,
Days
Nipapeduncletappingprotocolneedstobeimprovedforbetter
sapyield.
CartoonNo.1.Ethanolrecoveryoffermentedcoconut
sap.
Kaong(sugarpalm)produceslargequantitiesofsweetsap(~20
L/day)butnumberofpalmsarefewandscatteredmakingitnot
suitableforfeedstockforcommercialethanolproduction.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
TheassistanceofJoyMainar,RichardL.Lumata,AlshiaBeralde,
LalaineRulida,andMarybethM.Melencionisgreatlyappreciated.
Daysafterinitialtapping
CartoonNo.2.Sapcollectionofanipapalm.