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Title: Hemicellulose conversion by anaerobic digestion

Abstract

The digestibility of an aquatic biomass (water hyacinth), a land-based biomass (Coastal Bermuda grass), and a biomass-waste blend (a mixture of hyacinth, grass, MSW, and sludge) under various digestion conditions was studied. Anaerobic digestion of hemicellulose consists of the steps of enzymatic hydrolysis of hemicellulose to glucans, mannans, galactans, xylans, and arabans, and then to simple hexose and pentose sugars; production of C/sub 2/ and higher fatty acids from the simple sugars; conversion of higher fatty acids to acetate; and finally, production of methane and CO/sub 2/ from acetate, and CO/sub 2/ and hydrogen. The conversion of hemicellulose was higher under mesophilic conditions than those of cellulose or protein for all biomass test feeds, probably because the hemicellulose structure was more vulnerable to enzymatic attack than that of the lignocellulosic component. Cellulose conversion efficiencies at the mesophilic and thermophilic temperatures were about the same. However, hemicellulose was converted at a much lower efficiency than cellulose during thermophilic digestion - a situation that was the reverse of that observed at the mesophilic temperature. Cellulose was utilized in preference to hemicellulose during mesophilic digestion of nitrogen-supplemented Bermuda grass. It was speculated that Bermuda grass cellulose was converted at a higher efficiency thanmore » hemicellulose in the presence of external nitrogen because the metabolism of the breakdown product (glucose) of cellulose requires the least investment of enzymes and energy.« less

Authors:
; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Institute of Gas Technology, Chicago, IL (USA); United Gas Pipe Line Co., Houston, TX (USA)
OSTI Identifier:
5450546
Report Number(s):
CONF-820202-16
ON: DE82902744
Resource Type:
Conference
Resource Relation:
Conference: AICHE 1982 national winter meeting, Orlando, FL, USA, 28 Feb 1982
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
09 BIOMASS FUELS; GRASS; ANAEROBIC DIGESTION; HEMICELLULOSE; MUNICIPAL WASTES; SEWAGE SLUDGE; WATER HYACINTHS; CARBON DIOXIDE; ENZYMATIC HYDROLYSIS; HYDROGEN; MESOPHILIC CONDITIONS; METABOLISM; METHANE; SACCHARIDES; THERMOPHILIC CONDITIONS; ALKANES; AQUATIC ORGANISMS; BIOCONVERSION; CARBOHYDRATES; CARBON COMPOUNDS; CARBON OXIDES; CHALCOGENIDES; CHEMICAL REACTIONS; DECOMPOSITION; DIGESTION; ELEMENTS; HYDROCARBONS; HYDROLYSIS; LYSIS; MANAGEMENT; NONMETALS; ORGANIC COMPOUNDS; OXIDES; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; PLANTS; POLYSACCHARIDES; PROCESSING; SEWAGE; SLUDGES; SOLVOLYSIS; WASTE MANAGEMENT; WASTE PROCESSING; WASTES; 140504* - Solar Energy Conversion- Biomass Production & Conversion- (-1989); 090122 - Hydrocarbon Fuels- Preparation from Wastes or Biomass- (1976-1989)

Citation Formats

Ghosh, S, Henry, M P, and Christopher, R W. Hemicellulose conversion by anaerobic digestion. United States: N. p., 1982. Web.
Ghosh, S, Henry, M P, & Christopher, R W. Hemicellulose conversion by anaerobic digestion. United States.
Ghosh, S, Henry, M P, and Christopher, R W. 1982. "Hemicellulose conversion by anaerobic digestion". United States.
@article{osti_5450546,
title = {Hemicellulose conversion by anaerobic digestion},
author = {Ghosh, S and Henry, M P and Christopher, R W},
abstractNote = {The digestibility of an aquatic biomass (water hyacinth), a land-based biomass (Coastal Bermuda grass), and a biomass-waste blend (a mixture of hyacinth, grass, MSW, and sludge) under various digestion conditions was studied. Anaerobic digestion of hemicellulose consists of the steps of enzymatic hydrolysis of hemicellulose to glucans, mannans, galactans, xylans, and arabans, and then to simple hexose and pentose sugars; production of C/sub 2/ and higher fatty acids from the simple sugars; conversion of higher fatty acids to acetate; and finally, production of methane and CO/sub 2/ from acetate, and CO/sub 2/ and hydrogen. The conversion of hemicellulose was higher under mesophilic conditions than those of cellulose or protein for all biomass test feeds, probably because the hemicellulose structure was more vulnerable to enzymatic attack than that of the lignocellulosic component. Cellulose conversion efficiencies at the mesophilic and thermophilic temperatures were about the same. However, hemicellulose was converted at a much lower efficiency than cellulose during thermophilic digestion - a situation that was the reverse of that observed at the mesophilic temperature. Cellulose was utilized in preference to hemicellulose during mesophilic digestion of nitrogen-supplemented Bermuda grass. It was speculated that Bermuda grass cellulose was converted at a higher efficiency than hemicellulose in the presence of external nitrogen because the metabolism of the breakdown product (glucose) of cellulose requires the least investment of enzymes and energy.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5450546}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1982},
month = {Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1982}
}

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