[Conversion of corncob into biohydrogen by anaerobic fermentation]

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Renewable Energy
• Biochemical Engineering

Context:

• Corncob is an abundant lignocellulosic agricultural waste.
• Dark fermentation offers a promising route for biohydrogen production.
• Optimizing pretreatment and fermentation conditions is crucial for efficient conversion.

Purpose:

• To investigate the effects of acid pretreatment, substrate concentration, and initial pH on biohydrogen production from corncob.
• To determine the optimal conditions for maximizing hydrogen yield and production rate.
• To analyze the compositional changes in corncob during the pretreatment and fermentation process.

Summary:

• The study achieved a maximum hydrogen yield of 107.9 mL/g-TVS and a production rate of 4.2 mL/g-TVS·h using 1% HCl pretreatment for 30 min, 10 g/L corncob concentration, and an initial pH of 8.0.
• HCl pretreatment significantly reduced hemicellulose content from 42.2% to 3.0%, facilitating the hydrolysis of cellulose and hemicellulose into fermentable saccharides.
• Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) confirmed that acid pretreatment and microbial action effectively broke down the crystalline structure of cellulose and hemicellulose.

Impact:

• Establishes a novel and efficient method for biohydrogen production from corncob, a readily available waste material.
• Highlights the critical role of acid pretreatment in enhancing the conversion of lignocellulosic biomass for biofuel generation.
• Provides valuable insights into the biochemical mechanisms underlying biohydrogen production from agricultural residues.