REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES

OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENTIAL ASSISTANT

FOR FOOD SECURITY AND AGRICULTURAL MODERNIZATION
PHILIPPINE COCONUT AUTHORITY
ZAMBOANGA RESEARCH CENTER
San Ramon, Zamboanga City 7000 Tel. /Fax No. (062) 982-0302
P.O. Box 356 TIN: 000724616
E-mail:

NON-FOOD PRODUCTS DEVELOPMENT DIVISION

COCONUT-BASED BIOMASS AND BIOFUELS LABORATORY

MONTHLY ACCOMPLISHMENT REPORT

FOR THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY 2018

1. AR/NFPD - 11/01. Utilization of Coconut-based Biomass for Bioethanol Production.

(N.J. Melencion and J.B. Mainar)

1a. Product development of coconut ethanol

Eight thousand five hundred milliliters (8.5L) of ethanol were produced for the month.
Six (6) liters of ethanol were given to PGRCUD for their tissue culture laboratory use.

No newer ethanol-based products was developed.

1b. Utilization of Coconut-Based Lignocellulosic Biomass for Ethanol Production.

Hydrolyses trials were continued using coir dust, coconut leaves (fresh & dry), and fronds.
Determination of the percent sugar produced after acid hydrolysis of aforementioned
feedstocks is hampered as research staff are still waiting for the HPLC training in Manila
to push through (has been postpone twice due to schedule problems). Likewise, the
research is hampered by the lack of hot plate with magnetic stirrer, stainless steel
pressure cooker, and biomass grinder.

Photos 1 & 2. Borrowed (personal) household hot plate served as temporary hot plate for
hydrolyses trials.

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1c. Characterization of the fermentation process of coconut sap

Characterization of the fermentation dynamics of coconut inflorescence sap started in the

second half of the month of February with the use of the Sartorius BIOSTAT A bioreactor.
It was found out during actual use that the unit supplied was for cell culture and not for
ethanol fermentation as requested. Even the supplied cell culture bioreactor lacks many
parts based on Sartorius BIOSTAT A brochure. Communications has been made by the
supplier to correct this matter.

First Trial

One (1) liter of fresh tuba (no tan-bark, 4 hours collection) was poured into the bioreactor.
Biostat A was set to continuously stir the fermenting tuba at 300 revolutions per minute
(rpm) and set to maintain a temperature of 32 0C.

Photos 3 & 4. Sartorius BIOSTAT A bioreactor (left) and aseptic removal of toddy
samples during fermentation run (right).

Data logger was activated to monitor pH and temperature of the fermentation vessel.
After five (5) days, the experiment was stopped and data were retrived.

Results show that from the initial pH of 4.5, acidity of the toddy increases gradualy during
the first day of fermentation but tappered to 3.4-3.5 pH in the succeding four days (Graphs
1 & 2).

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 Graph 1. Acidity of Fermenting Toddy Graph 2. Acidity of Fermenting Toddy
(hourly intervals) (hourly intervals)

Graph 3. Dissolved Oxygen (% Saturation) during toddy fermentation.

Aerobic fermentation of coconut toddy with cocktail of naturally occurring fermenting

microorganisms (alcohol, lactic & acetic acids) requires oxygen for their metabolism.
Thus, results show that as these organisms multiply and colonize the substrate very fast
(1 day). With no other oxygen source except the surface-air interphase, dissolved oxygen
sharply declined as the demand for oxygen increases with the number of microorganisms
despite the constant stirring of the substrate. It is hypothesized that due to limiting
factors of nutrition and increasing alcohol content of the substrate, the growth of these
organisms slowed down from day 2 to day 4. At day 5, dissolved oxygen increases as
metabolism of fermenting organisms were slowed down by the presence of high ethanol
concentration (8.03%) in the toddy.

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2. Commercialization of Coco-coir Processing Technologies and Machineries in
CALABARZON

2a. Product development from coir-cocoshell-acrylic. (N.J. Melencion, M.M. Melencion

& J.B. Mainar)

Acrylic resins and other related chemicals and materials requested for procurement in
November of 2017 are still unavailable (as of March 7, 2018) for laboratory use. It is
unclear if such materials were ever purchased. Based on reflected fund balances, it is
evident that funds legally appropriated for this project were used for other projects.

i. Coconut-based Biodegradable Bacterial Cellulose Product Development (N.J.

Melencion, M.M. Melencion & J.B. Mainar)

Preliminary characterization of biomass production potential of a bacterial cellulose

species (unknown) that accidentally grow in one of the fermenting samples in the
laboratory (circa 2012) were undertaken using mature coconut water and fresh
toddy.

Liquid feedstock was prepared last January 11, 2018. As of the time of this report
(March 7, 2018) the volume of cellulose produced from coconut waste products is
about 196.7 cm3 (average of two) or roughly 98.35 cm3 per month.

Photo 5. Bacterial biomass produced after two

months of microbial activity.

Characterization of the factors affecting growth (carbon source, nutrients, culture

temperature, etc.) will be performed in the future using the Sartorius Biostat A
bioreactor.

Bacterial biomass produced from this unknown species was the source of bacterial
cellulose fibers used in the development of biodegradable films concurrently being
conducted in this laboratory

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3. Coconut Sap Concentrator (N.J. Melencion)

Design of the coconut sap concentrator is already ready for fabrication. However, the study
still needs stainless steel pressure cooker (as reaction vessel), vacuum pump, heater, various
gages (temperature & pressure) and other supplies for the project to start.

4. Development of an Energy-Sufficient Green Household Model for Coconut Farmers (N.J.

Melencion, J.B. Mainar &, M.M. Melencion).

4a. Evaluation of biogas generation potentials of different coconut biomass. (N.J.

Melencion, J.B. Mainar and M.M. Melencion).

There appears to be a small leak present in the anaerobic digester

as it fails to produce perceptible amount of biogas (no expansion of
the rubber. Observations will be continued as digestion takes 3
months to complete.

Photo 6. Locally fabricated mini-biogas

digester.

5. Other Research Activities

5a. Utilization of biomass generated from coconut nursery.

Coconut nursery-derived Table 1. Moisture content (MC%, based on oven-dry weight) of germinated nut rejects.

biomass are in the form of Weight (g) MC (%)

Sample
culled seedling (stunted Initial Final (bone-dry) MC=((Wini-Wod)/Wod)*100

growth or over-mature) and Coconut Meat

#1 155.50 154.50 65%

un-germinated nuts. To enable 171.00 170.00
#2 59%
to determine the best utility #3 173.00 172.00 58%

for these wastes, the Coconut- Average 166.50 165.50 61%

based Biomass and Biofuels Haustorium

Laboratory is now currently #1 101.00 99.00 202%

96.50 94.50
characterizing these biomass #2
100.00 96.00
212%
#3 417%
as per instruction of the Average 99.17 96.50 277%

Center Manager.
Roots
80.00 79.50
Germinated Nuts #1
#2 85.50 85.00
63%
59%
#3 48.50 48.00 104%
The amount of endosperm Average 71.33 70.83 75%

(liquid and solid) left inside

the coconut shell is dependent on the age of the seedling. The culled seedlings evaluated
were found to contain no liquid endosperm (coconut water), it’s inside cavity was
completely filled with the haustorium, and very thin coconut meat (Photo 7 & 8).

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 Photos 7, 8 & 9. Nursery rejects (left), de-husked rejected seedling (center), and its inside-
nut condition.

Photos 10 & 11. Biomass of un-germinated nut, less husk (left). Oil derived from liquefied
endosperm (right).

This liquefaction of the meat is probably due to enzymes (initially) and to bacteria after it
had find its way inside the nut. The resulting liquid has a foul smell. Oil can still be
recovered from this liquid but is already rancid.

Recovered oil can be deodorized using activated carbon. Downstream products (non-
food) may include soap, candle, biodiesel, etc.

Submitted by:

NEIL J. MELENCION, PhD.

Senior Science Research Specialist

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