Membrane-controlled digetion: effect of ultrafiltration on anaerobic digestion of glucose

Conference · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1978 · Biotechnol. Bioeng. Symp.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5691086

Jeffries, T W; Omstead, D R; Cardenas, R R; Gregor, H P

The biological conversion of soluble organic materials to methane by anaerobic digestion is limited by the activity of methanogenic bacteria. This study describes attempts to increase this rate by increasing the supply of appropriate substrates, by removing inhibitory compounds, and increasing the methanogenic biomass by menbrane-controlled anaerobic digestion. The objectives were to enhance the rate of methanogenesis by removing acetic and higher organic acids by ultrafiltration as they were formed in an anaerobic digester and to concentrate and recover these acids by water-splitting electrodialysis and membrane-assisted solvent extraction. CH/sub 4/ is produced at a high rate from hydrogen and carbon dioxide during fermentation of the organic feedstock to acids. An acetic acid and methane fermentation with a standing methanogenic biomass of 10g/liter and a specific activity of 20 mmol CH/sub 4//g-hour (2) would yield about 110 liters of CH/sub 4/ and 580g of acetic acid per liter of reactor volume per day from 780g of cellulose per liter per day. 11 figures, 1 table.

• Research Organization: Columbia Univ., New York, NY
• OSTI ID: 5691086
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Biotechnol. Bioeng. Symp.; (United States) Journal Volume: 8
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

09 BIOMASS FUELS
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59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
ACETIC ACID
ALDEHYDES
ALKANES
ANAEROBIC DIGESTION
BACTERIA
BIOCONVERSION
BIOMASS
BIOSYNTHESIS
CARBOHYDRATES
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
CRYOGENIC FLUIDS
DIALYSIS
DIGESTION
ELECTRODIALYSIS
ENERGY SOURCES
FERMENTATION
FLUIDS
GLUCOSE
HEXOSES
HYDROCARBONS
MANAGEMENT
MEMBRANES
METHANE
METHANOGENIC BACTERIA
MICROORGANISMS
MONOCARBOXYLIC ACIDS
MONOSACCHARIDES
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PROCESSING
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
SACCHARIDES
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SYNTHESIS
ULTRAFILTRATION
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING