Effect of ultrafine grinding on biomethanation of lignite

Abstract

ABSTRACT The conversion of lignite into biomethane is of great significance in the field of energy research. However, the yield of biomethane is low. To improve the biomethane yield from lignite, the effects of ultrafine grinding lignite on the biomethanation fermentation system were analyzed. The daily biomethane yield, total biomethane yield, pH, glucose concentration, and volatile fatty acid concentration of lignite were used to determine the optimum particle size of lignite. The results demonstrated that the total biomethane yield of the fermentation group with ultrafine grinding lignite was 14.69 mL·g−1 at a reaction temperature of 50°C and a biomethane fermentation time of 39 d. This was 36.91, 33.42, and 26.75% higher than that of the 40, 150, and 250 mesh lignite biomethane fermentation groups, respectively. The daily biomethane yield reached the peak of the ultrafine grinding lignite fermentation group 1.30 mL·g−1 on the second day, which was 1.96, 1.63, and 1.04 times higher than that of the 40, 150, and 250 mesh lignite fermentation systems, respectively. The research demonstrated that ultrafine grinding of lignite can effectively increase the biomethane yield. This provides an effective method for improving the yield of biomethane from lignite.