Characteristics of carbohydrate degradation and the rate-limiting step in anaerobic digestion

Journal Article · Tue Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1985 · Biotechnol. Bioeng.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/bit.260271013· OSTI ID:5993928

Noike, T; Endo, G; Chang, J E; Yaguchi, J I; Matsumoto, J I

The characteristics of the degradation of cellulose, soluble starch, and glucose in the acidogenic phase and the effects of the substrate loading rate and biological solids retention time on the methanogenic phase of anaerobic digestion were investigated. The results obtained from continuous experiments using laboratory-scale anaerobic chemostat reactors elucidated the true rate-limiting step of anaerobic digestion. The specific rate of substrate utilization decreased in the following order: glucose, soluble starch, acetic acid, and cellulose. The rate of the hydrolysis of cellulose was so low that this was shown to be the rate-limiting step in overall anaerobic digestion. Among methanogenic bacteria Methanosarcina would provide a higher substrate utilization rate than Methanothrix, and the maximum allowable substrate loading rate in the methanogenic phase was 11.2 g acetic acid/l/day. 10 references.

• Research Organization: Tohoku Univ., Sendai, Japan; Ebara Research Co. Ltd., Fujisawa, Japan; Chen Kong Univ., Tainan, Taiwan
• OSTI ID: 5993928
• Journal Information: Biotechnol. Bioeng.; (United States), Journal Name: Biotechnol. Bioeng.; (United States) Vol. 27:10; ISSN BIBIA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

09 BIOMASS FUELS
090122* -- Hydrocarbon Fuels-- Preparation from Wastes or Biomass-- (1976-1989)
140504 -- Solar Energy Conversion-- Biomass Production & Conversion-- (-1989)
550700 -- Microbiology
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
ACETIC ACID
ALDEHYDES
ANAEROBIC DIGESTION
BACTERIA
BENCH-SCALE EXPERIMENTS
BIOCHEMICAL REACTION KINETICS
BIOCONVERSION
CARBOHYDRATES
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
CELLULOSE
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CONTINUOUS CULTURE
DECOMPOSITION
DIGESTION
GLUCOSE
HEXOSES
HYDROLYSIS
KINETICS
LOADING RATE
LYSIS
MANAGEMENT
METHANOGENIC BACTERIA
MICROORGANISMS
MONOCARBOXYLIC ACIDS
MONOSACCHARIDES
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
POLYSACCHARIDES
PROCESSING
REACTION KINETICS
REAGENTS
SACCHARIDES
SOLVOLYSIS
STARCH
SUBSTRATES
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING