THE IMPACT OF BACTERIAL PRETREATMENT ON CORN STOVER FOR BIOGAS PRODUCTION

Autor/autori: Balázs KAKUK, Orsolya STRANG, Norbert ÁCS, Etelka KOVÁCS, Gábor RÁKHELY, Kornél L. KOVÁCS, Zoltán BAGI (Ungaria)

Rezumat: Porumbul este cultivat in cantitati semnificative cu scop nutritiv; produsele intermediare rezultate sunt planta de porumb ce este de obicei nefolosita. Datorita cantitatilor mari existente si a continutului ridicat de celuloza acesta reprezinta un potential substrat pentru producerea de biogaz. In orice caz, aceasta biomasa bogata in celuloza nu este utilizata in fermentatoarele anaerobe datorita insolubilitatii sale ridicate. Ea forme4aza o crusta la suprafata fazei lichide in reactoare ce are ca rezultat inhibarea procesului de producere a biogazului. Deoarece continutul ridicat de materii solide inhiba procesul formare a biogazului la scara industriala este necesara realizarea unui pretratament. Astfel, digestia anaeroba a plantei de porumb poate un mod eficient, economic si cu impact pozitiv asupra mediului de valorificare a deseurilor agricole pe langa producerea unui biocombustibil regenerabil valoros. In studiul nostru, o bacterie celulozica a fost utilizata pentru pretratarea biomasei bogata in celuloza si a fost masurat impactul pe care il are acest proces asupra fermentatiei anaerobe a substratului.

Cuvinte cheie: pretratament, planta de porumb, celuloza, digestie anaeroba, biogaz.

Keywords: Maize is grown in large quantities for nutritional purpose; its agricultural by-product is the corn stover, which is usually unused. Because of its high abundance and high cellulose content, it is a promising substrate for biogas production. However, this cellulose-rich biomass is not used in anaerobic fermentors today, due to its insolubility. It forms a solid crust at the top of the liquid phase in the reactors, which results in the inhibition of biogas formation. Since the high solid-content inhibits the industrial-scale fermentation of corn stover, some kind of pretreatment is considered necessary. Therefore the anaerobic digestion of the corn stover could be an effective, economically profitable and environmentally friendly way of disposing agricultural wastes - besides producing a valuable renewable biofuels. In our study, a cellulolytic bacterium has been used for the pretreatment of the cellulose-rich biomass and the impact on the anaerobic fermentation of the substrate was measured.


Résumé: Pretreatment; Corn stover; Cellulose; Anaerobic Digestion, Biogas

 

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