Comprehensive evaluation of two different inoculums in MFC with a new tin‐coated copper mesh anode electrode for producing electricity from a cottonseed oil industry effluent

Abstract

We evaluated a new electrode material for its capacity to generate electricity by using a cottonseed effluent in two microbial fuel cells (MFCs). Tin‐coated copper (Sn‐coating Cu) mesh and platinum‐coated titanium were used as anode and cathode electrode materials, respectively. For a startup period that allowed slow‐growing electro‐active bacteria to form biofilms on the anode electrode, inoculums were supplied from anaerobic digester sludge (ADS) and estuary sediment (ES). The ADS‐inoculated MFC successfully achieved maximum power density of 160 mW/m2, whereas ES‐inoculated MFC had a maximum power density of 59 mW/m2. Maximum columbic efficiencies for ADS and ES were 12.8% and 5.6% and the corresponding COD removal efficiencies were 66.6% and 53.6%, respectively. A PCR‐DGGE analysis showed that the anode surface in ADS‐inoculated MFC has more groups of bacteria than that in ES‐inoculated MFC. The kinetic performances of MFCs evaluated by using the Nernst–Monod equation showed that maximum current density (Jmax) increased to around 1.62 A/m2 in the ADS‐inoculated MFC and 1.06 A/m2 in the ES‐inoculated MFC. © 2015 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 35: 110–116, 2016