Comparison of Dry Versus Wet Milling to Improve Bioethanol or Methane Recovery from Solid Anaerobic Digestate

Biogas plants for waste treatment valorization are presently experiencing rapid development, especially in the agricultural sector, where large amounts of digestate are being generated. In this study, we investigated the effect of vibro-ball milling (VBM) for 5 and 30 min at a frequency of 20 s−1 on the physicochemical composition and enzymatic hydrolysis (30 U g−1 total solids (TS) of cellulase and endo-1,4-xylanase from Trichoderma longibrachiatum) of dry and wet solid separated digestates from an agricultural biogas plant. We found that VBM of dry solid digestate improved the physical parameters as both the particle size and the crystallinity index (from 27% to 75%) were reduced. By contrast, VBM of wet solid digestate had a minimal effect on the physicochemical parameters. The best results in terms of cellulose and hemicelluloses hydrolysis were noted for 30 min of VBM of dry solid digestate, with hydrolysis yields of 64% and 85% for hemicelluloses and cellulose, respectively. At the condition of 30 min of VBM, bioethanol and methane production on the dry solid separated digestate was investigated. Bioethanol fermentation by simultaneous saccharification and fermentation resulted in an ethanol yield of 98 geth kg−1 TS (corresponding to 90% of the theoretical value) versus 19 geth kg−1 TS for raw solid digestate. Finally, in terms of methane potential, VBM for 30 min lead to an increase of the methane potential of 31% compared to untreated solid digestate

Zymomonas mobilis: biomass production and use as a dough leavening agent

Zymomonas mobilis ferments only glucose, fructose and sucrose via the Entner-Doudoroff pathway, providing an equimolar mixture of ethanol and CO2 and theoretically, as for Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the gas evolved can be used to leaven a dough. However, the capability of Z. mobilis to produce CO2 has rarely been exploited. In the present study we first evaluated the growing performance of two Z. mobilis strains (DSMZ 424 and 3580) in a culture medium lacking yeast extract, with added glucose or fructose (20 and 50 g/L) comparatively; the results demonstrated that biomass yield is 50 % higher with glucose. The best conditions were up-scaled, obtaining a biomass yield of 1.3–1.4 g dcw/L in a 14-L fermenter. Leavening trials performed in a model system with the biomass collected from fermenters after 9 or 16 h incubation evidenced that Z. mobilis can leaven a model dough as S. cerevisiae does, and showing a CO2 production rate (9–11 mL g dcw−1 min−1) statistically higher than that of S. cerevisiae (6–7 mL g dcw−1 min−1), especially when using 9-h-grown biomass. Bakery products leavened with Z. mobilis could thus be available to people with adverse responses to the ingestion of bakery food, providing innovation in the area of yeast-free leavened baked goods

Algae as promising feedstocks for fermentative biohydrogen production according to a biorefinery approach: A comprehensive review

Interest is growing in the production of biohydrogen from algae through dark fermentation, as alternative to fossil fuels. However, one of the limiting steps of biohydrogen production is the conversion of polymeric carbohydrates into monomeric sugars. Thus, physical, chemical and biological pretreatments are usually employed in order to facilitate carbohydrates de-polymerization and enhancing biohydrogen production from algae. Considering the overall process, biohydrogen production through dark fermentation leads generally to negative net energy balances of the difference between the energy produced as biohydrogen and the direct ones (heat and electricity) consumed to produce it. Thus, to make the overall process economically feasible, dark fermentation of algae must be integrated in a biorefinery approach, where the outlets are valorized into bioenergy or value added biomolecules.The present study reviews recent findings on pretreatments and biohydrogen production through dark fermentation of algae looking at the perspectives of integrating side streams of dark fermentation from algal biomass, according to a biorefinery approach

Twin-Screw Extrusion Mechanical Pretreatment for Enhancing Biomethane Production from Agro-Industrial, Agricultural and Catch Crop Biomasses

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of mechanical treatment through twin-screw extrusion for the enhancement of biomethane production. Four lignocellulosic biomasses (i.e., sweetcorn by-products, whole triticale, corn stover and wheat straw) were evaluated, and two different shear stress screw profiles were tested. Chemical composition, particle size reduction, tapped density and cellulose crystallinity were assessed to show the effect of extrusion pretreatment on substrate physico-chemical properties and their biochemical methane production (BMP) capacities. Both mechanical pretreatments allowed an increase in the proportion of particles with a diameter size less than 1 mm (from 3.7% to 72.7%). The most restrictive profile also allowed a significant solubilization of water soluble coumpounds, from 5.5% to 13%. This high-shear extrusion also revealed a reduction in cellulose crystallinity for corn stover (i.e., 8.6% reduction). Sweetcorn by-products revealed the highest BMP values (338–345 NmL/gVS), followed by corn stover (264–286 NmL/gVS), wheat straw (247–270 NmL/gVS) and whole triticale (233–247 NmL/gVS). However, no statistical improvement in maximal BMP production was provided by twin-screw extrusion. Nevertheless, BMP kinetic analysis proved that both extrusion pretreatments were able to increase the specific rate constant (from 13% to 56% for soft extrusion and from 66% to 107% for the high-shear one)

Use of solid digestate for lignocellulolytic enzymes production through submerged fungal fermentation

Studies were performed on the use of the solid fraction of digestate (D) for the production of lignocellulolytic enzymes (endo- and exo-glucanase, xylanase, beta-glucosidase and laccase) by fungi, in comparison with wheat straw (benchmark) (W). To date, this is the first report on the use of such an inexpensive substrate in a liquid environment. Submerged instead of solid state fermentation was applied to overcome pH inhibition and increase surface accessibility. A total of 21 fungal strains were tested: the most performing ones were Irpex lacteus DSM1183 for both beta-glucosidase (52 IU/g with D, + 400% compared to W) and endo-glucanase (236 IU/g with D,+ 470% compared to W), Schizophyllum commune CBS30132 for xylanase (715 IU/g with W,+ 145% compared to D) and Pleurotus ostreatus ATCC96997 for laccase (124 IU/g with D, +230% compared to D). Cultures from S. commune and P. ostreatus were analyzed at the beginning and at the end of the growth test to determine soluble COD, total (TS) and volatile (VS) solids. COD was always lower at the end of the test suggesting a faster uptake than hydrolysis. P. ostreatus evidenced a higher VS reduction (+11% rather than -32%), suggesting a more effective growth of this strain on D. Results may open up new avenues for the utilization of solid digestate, an inexpensive agricultural by-product, for the production of value-added products as well as to increase biodegradation of lignocellulosic materials

Comparison of different pre-treatments to increase methane production from two agricultural substrates

To enhance the methane production from ensiled sorghum forage and wheat straw, thermal, alkaline and thermo-alkaline pre-treatments were performed in batch mode. Alkaline pretreatment was conducted at 40°C for 24 h with the addition of 1 and 10% gNaOH/gTS; thermal and thermo-alkaline pre-treatments at 100°C, and 160°C for 30 min, with and without the addition of NaOH solutions at the same dosages previously mentioned. All the pre-treatments tested led to a solubilisation of the Chemical Oxygen Demand (CODs), with a maximum concentration (around 30-40% for both substrates) obtained at 40 and 100°C with 10% NaOH. Furthermore, a reduction of fibrous fractions was observed for both substrates. The highest lignin reduction, compared to untreated samples, was found at 100°C with 10% NaOH dosage (53% and 72% for wheat straw and sorghum, respectively). Under this pre-treatment condition a high hemicelluloses reduction yield was also found (63% for both substrates). The highest increase in methane yield (up to 32%), compared to untreated substrate was observed at 40°C with 10% NaOH for sorghum. As for wheat straw, significant increases in methane yield were observed at 40°C with 10% NaOH (43%) and at 100°C with 1-10% NaOH (48 and 67%, respectively). According to the results of the preliminary economic analysis, the pre-treatments seemed to be sustainable for both substrates, especially for wheat straw, due to a higher methane yield increased, compared to sorghum

Mechano-Enzymatic Deconstruction with a New Enzymatic Cocktail to Enhance Enzymatic Hydrolysis and Bioethanol Fermentation of Two Macroalgae Species

The aim of this study was to explore the efficiency of a mechano-enzymatic deconstruction of two macroalgae species for sugars and bioethanol production, by using a new enzymatic cocktail (Haliatase) and two types of milling modes (vibro-ball: VBM and centrifugal milling: CM). By increasing the enzymatic concentration from 3.4 to 30 g/L, the total sugars released after 72 h of hydrolysis increased (from 6.7 to 13.1 g/100 g TS and from 7.95 to 10.8 g/100 g TS for the green algae U. lactuca and the red algae G. sesquipedale, respectively). Conversely, total sugars released from G. sesquipedale increased (up to 126% and 129% after VBM and CM, respectively). The best bioethanol yield (6 geth/100 g TS) was reached after 72 h of fermentation of U. lactuca and no increase was obtained after centrifugal milling. The latter led to an enhancement of the ethanol yield of G. sesquipedale (from 2 to 4 g/100 g TS)

Application of Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor and Fixed Bed Hybrid Biological Reactor for Oilfield Produced Water Treatment: Influence of Total Dissolved Solids Concentration

International audienceThis experimental paper deals with the development of a hybrid biological reactor for the treatment of a synthetic oilfield produced water under an increase in total dissolved solids (TDS) concentration. To comply with strengthening regulations concerning produced water discharge and peculiar produced water compositions, a moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) consisting in a combination of free activated sludge and moving biofilm supports was compared to a fixed bed hybrid biological reactor (FBHBR) consisting in a combination of free activated sludge and a fixed biofilm support. After a 216 days experimental period, the MBBR and the FBHBR were efficient to treat a synthetic produced water with chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal rate above 90% under an increase in TDS concentrations from 1.5 to 8 g·L−1. Ecotoxicity measurements on freshwater and marine microorganisms revealed an absence of toxicity on treated waters. A decrease in bacterial diversity indices with respect to the inoculum was observed in both bioreactors. This suggests that the increase in TDS concentrations caused the predominance of a low number of bacterial species

Enzymatic and metabolic activities of four anaerobic sludges and their impact on methane production from ensiled sorghum forage

Biochemical methane potential (BMP) tests were run on ensiled sorghum forage using four inocula (urban, agricultural, mixture of agricultural and urban, granular) and differences on their metabolic and enzymatic activities were also discussed. Results indicate that no significant differences were observed in terms of BMP values (258 ± 14 NmLCH4 g1VS) with a slightly higher value when agricultural sludge was used as inoculum. Significant differences can be observed among different inocula, in terms of methane production rate. In particular the fastest biomethanization occurred when using the urban sludge (hydrolytic kinetic constant kh = 0.146 d1) while the slowest one was obtained from the agricultural sludge (kh = 0.049 d1). Interestingly, positive correlations between the overall enzymatic activities and methane production rates were observed for all sludges, showing that a high enzymatic activity may favour the hydrolysis of complex substrate and accelerate the methanization process of sorghum

Développement d’un procédé biologique hybride pour le traitement d’eau de production pétrolière

International audienc