Abstract
This study is the first work that evaluated the effectiveness of unmodified (SD) and modified biochar with ammonium hydroxide (SD-NH2) derived from sawdust waste biomass as an additive for biogas production from red algae Pterocladia capillacea either individually or in combination with hematite α-Fe2O3 NPs. Brunauer, Emmett, and Teller, Fourier transform infrared, thermal gravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, Raman, and a particle size analyzer were used to characterize the generated biochars and the synthesized α-Fe2O3. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) measurements confirmed the formation of amino groups on the modified biochar surface. The kinetic research demonstrated that both the modified Gompertz and logistic function models fit the experimental data satisfactorily except for 150 SD-NH2 alone or in combination with α-Fe2O3 at a concentration of 10 mg/L. The data suggested that adding unmodified biochar at doses of 50 and 100 mg significantly increased biogas yield compared to untreated algae. The maximum biogas generation (219 mL/g VS) was obtained when 100 mg of unmodified biochar was mixed with 10 mg of α-Fe2O3 in the inoculum.
Highlights
In the recent decades, renewable energy has gained significance largely because of the sources from which it comes [1,2]
This study is the first work that studies the impact of nanoparticles with biochar on biogas production from seaweeds
The biomass of the red algae P. capillacea was pretreated with two different types of biochar either individually or combined with α-Fe2 O3 for enhancing biogas production in this work
Summary
Renewable energy has gained significance largely because of the sources from which it comes [1,2]. Waste-to-energy technologies help process or dispose of less waste while generating electricity, encouraging the move away from fossil fuels [1,2]. Initial studies on biomass for energy production have shown that it is a competitive fuel vs fossil fuels and has a dry matter calorific value of around 17–21 MJ/kg [4]. Biogas may be created from a wide range of sources, as long as they contain organic material. Among these sources are seaweeds, municipal sewage, manure, agricultural waste, and waste dumps [5,6]. Numerous studies have been conducted to optimize the anaerobic digestion (AD) performance and energy efficiency of biogas-producing technologies to meet global demand for a stable and clean energy source. Europe was striving to achieve one-fifth of renewable energy by 2020 by improving the energy efficiency of existing
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