Improving methane production from palm leaflets waste with thermal and ultrasound pre-treatment

Abstract

The use of anaerobic digestion (AD) technology for energy recovery from date palm leaflet waste (PLW), is attracting growing interest due to its multiple economic, social and environmental benefits. However, challenges persist in optimizing anaerobic digestion to harness its full potential for efficient methane production. This research aims to address these challenges by identifying a potent pre-treatment approach for enhancing methane generation through anaerobic digestion of palm leaflet waste (PLW) by comparing the results of thermal and ultrasound techniques. Moreover, the experimental methane production obtained from the AD of PLW was adjusted using Logistic and modified Gompertz models. This study showed that the cumulative methane productions were 2341, 1789, and 1461 Nml, respectively, in thermal, ultrasound pre-treatment, and untreated (witness). The results further conclude that by applying high ultrasonic and thermal energies, the biodegradation rate could be enhanced, leading to increased methane production. The simulated maximum of cumulative methane production for both the modified Logistic and modified Gomperz for all sorts of substrate was 1692,18 NmL and 1723,40 NmL, respectively, untreated, ultrasound, and thermal pre-treated. The findings of this study highlight the potential of innovative pre-treatment strategies to elevate anaerobic digestion's efficiency, thereby offering a sustainable solution for waste management and energy production.