A sustainable alternative for production of traditional petroleum
refining products such as chemicals and fuels is lignocellulosic
biomass. The present study emphasizes the production of
ethanol from the lignocellulosic fibers of Areca nut husk, moj,
and bon bogori. The study introduces Taguchi method to
optimize ultrasound assisted lime pretreatment process to
remove the most recalcitrant part of lignocellulosic fibers (i.e.,
lignin) within a predetermined design space. Lime pretreatment
process has several advantages over other existing chemical or
thermochemical pretreatment processes such as low formation
of fermentation inhibitors, easy recovery process, and many
others, but the major drawback of lime pretreatment process is
longer operation time. The biofuel producers avoid lime
pretreatment process, as the reaction process is slower than
other existing pretreatment process. Ultrasound assisted lime
pretreatment process not only eliminates this drawback but also
improves the quality and recovery of pretreated lignocellulosic
biomass.