Hydrogen Production from Enzymatic Hydrolysates of Alkali Pre-Treated Giant Reed ( Arundo donax L.)

Ciro Vasmara, Stefano Cianchetta, Rosa Marchetti, Enrico Ceotto and Stefania Galletti
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Ciro Vasmara: CREA—Council for Agricultural Research and Economics, Research Centre for Animal Production and Aquaculture, Via Beccastecca 345, 41018 San Cesario sul Panaro, Italy
Stefano Cianchetta: CREA—Council for Agricultural Research and Economics, Research Centre for Agriculture and Environment, Via di Corticella 133, 40128 Bologna, Italy
Rosa Marchetti: CREA—Council for Agricultural Research and Economics, Research Centre for Animal Production and Aquaculture, Via Beccastecca 345, 41018 San Cesario sul Panaro, Italy
Enrico Ceotto: CREA—Council for Agricultural Research and Economics, Research Centre for Animal Production and Aquaculture, Via Beccastecca 345, 41018 San Cesario sul Panaro, Italy
Stefania Galletti: CREA—Council for Agricultural Research and Economics, Research Centre for Agriculture and Environment, Via di Corticella 133, 40128 Bologna, Italy

Energies, 2022, vol. 15, issue 13, 1-17

Abstract: The perennial rhizomatous grass giant reed ( Arundo donax L.) can be exploited to produce hydrogen by dark fermentation. This implies a high availability of simple sugars, like glucose and xylose, and, thus, a pre-treatment is necessary to remove lignin and expose the holocellulose to enzymatic attack. This study aimed at evaluating the hydrogen production from giant reed hydrolysates. Giant reed dry meal was pre-treated with diluted NaOH (1.2% weight/weight), then the solid fraction was separated from the alkaline black liquor by filtration, enzymatically hydrolyzed with a cellulase blend (Cellic CTec2), and fermented in mesophilic batch conditions with a microbial consortium derived from pig slurry. The impact on hydrogen yield of initial pH was evaluated by comparing the hydrogen production from hydrolysates with not adjusted (5.3) or adjusted initial pH (8.7) using NaOH or alkaline black liquor. The highest hydrogen yield, 2.0 mol/mol of hexoses, was obtained with alkaline initial pH 8.7, regardless of how the pH adjustment was managed. The yield was 39% higher than that obtained in reactors with initial pH 5.3. In conclusion, thermo-alkaline pre-treatment followed by enzymatic saccharification and initial pH adjustment at 8.7 with the black liquor remaining after pre-treatment is a promising strategy to produce hydrogen from giant reeds in dark fermentation.

Keywords: giant reed; alkaline pretreatment; enzymatic hydrolysis; dark fermentation; pH; black liquor; bio-hydrogen (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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