Influence of temperature and duration of heat treatment used for anaerobic seed sludge on biohydrogen fermentation

Abstract

This study focused for the influence of temperature and duration of heat treatment applied to seed sludge on anaerobic biohydrogen fermentation. Temperature for the treatment varied from 90°C to 100°C, and duration from 15 and 180 min. The observed hydrogen production from the batch hydrogen fermentation was explained by the difference equation between cumulative hydrogen production and consumption, both of which are expressed by the modified Gompertz equations. The hydrogen production potential was effected by temperature and duration of heat treatment used for the anaerobic seed sludge. The maximum value of hydrogen production potential was 63.1 mL H2/g glucose, which was obtained from seed sludge treated at 100°C for 30 min. The compositions of volatile fatty acids in the products and their levels, as well as carbon dioxide content in the biogas, were also effected by temperature and duration of the heat treatment used for the anaerobic seed sludge, and they were important factors for determined the hydrogen production potential.