Untreated Raw Material Research Articles

Enhancing pozzolanic activity of fly ash via dry and wet milling: A comparative study for sustainable construction material enhancement

This investigation delineates the enhancement of fly ash (FA) properties through mechanical treatments for sustainable construction applications and reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. FA, a byproduct of coal combustion in power generation, inherently exhibits limited pozzolanic activity. This research evaluates the impact of particle size reduction via dry and wet milling treatments on FA's pozzolanic behavior. The study's comparative analysis involves three FA variants: untreated raw material, dry-milled, and wet-milled FA. Extensive characterization encompassed chemical composition, physical properties, and microstructural features. Results demonstrate a marked improvement in pozzolanic activity in milled FAs, with wet milling yielding superior outcomes in particle size reduction (98% diminution compared to raw FA) and pozzolanic reactivity. The comparative assessment underscores wet milling's efficacy over dry milling and untreated FA in enhancing FA's performance as a sustainable construction material. In light of these findings, the study advocates for continued exploration of FA treatments, aiming to optimize their utility in eco-friendly construction practices.

Kinetic and hydrogen production analysis in the sequential valorization of a Populus clone by cold alkaline extraction and pyrolysis

This work employed a two-step biorefining process, consisting of a hemicellulose-rich liquor production through ultrasound-assisted cold alkaline extraction (CAE), followed by thermochemical treatment of the resultant solid phase. The post-CAE solid phase’s pyrolytic potential was assessed by application of thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and Friedman’s isoconversional method, and also from hydrogen production. The solid phases remaining after the CAE treatment were more reactive than the untreated raw material. Notably, the alkali concentration employed in the first step was the individual variable most pronounced influence on their activation energy (Ea). Thus, at a degree of conversion α = 0.50, Ea ranged from 109.7 to 254.3 kJ/mol for the solid phases, compared to 177 kJ/mol for the raw material; this value decreased with rising glucan content. At maximal degradation, the post-CAE solid phases produced up to 15.57% v/v more hydrogen than did the untreated raw material.

Assessment of the biodegradability of feather raw material as a food substrate for ceratophagous insects

The article presents the results of a study to determine the degree of biodegradability of feather raw material as a food substrate for clothing moth caterpillars and brown carpet beetle larvae and shows that this indicator depends on the stage of development of ceratophagous insects. The paper aims to assess the degree of biodegradation of feather raw material as a food substrate for the caterpillars of clothing moths, Tineola bisselliella (Humm.), and the larvae of brown carpet beetles, Attagenus smirnovi Zhant. Once we used organoleptic examination to assess nutritional suitability of feather raw material for ceratophagous insects and analyzed its physical and chemical properties, we found that feather raw material is a favorable breeding ground for ceratophagous insects, as evidenced by its characteristics. As we compared the biodeterioration effect of clothing moth caterpillars and brown carpet beetles on untreated feather raw material, we found that samples affected by clothing moth caterpillars bore the most damage 28 days after the experiment began, i.e., 9.64%, while brown carpet beetle larvae affected 2.13% of the sample over that period, a direct consequence of the brown carpet beetle larvae development cycle.

Effect of pretreatment with hydrogen peroxide at different pHs on corn stalk: Characterizations of structure, composition, and pyrolysis properties

Appropriate pretreatment plays a pivotal role in biomass pyrolysis as it facilitates high-value utilization of pyrolysis products. In this study, hydrogen peroxide pretreatment with cleanliness, economy, and efficiency was applied for fast pyrolysis of corn stalks. The effects of pyrolysis temperature, hydrogen peroxide pretreatment, and different pHs on the structure of corn stalks and the properties of resultant pyrolysis products were investigated. The results revealed that the pretreatment could effectively promote lignin depolymerization and significantly reduce the reaction activation energy (E). Meanwhile, the pretreatment increased the cellulose content and removed the majority of alkali and alkaline earth metals from the biomass. The removal of lignin and ash by the pretreatment was affected by the pH of the hydrogen peroxide solution. Moreover, the composition of bio-oil changed significantly. Among them, the relative content of levoglucosan in the bio-oil from untreated raw material was only 1.38 %. After pretreatment, the relative content of levoglucosan was up to 14.5 %. The present findings offer valuable guidance for the further exploration and exploitation on hydrogen peroxide pretreatment for depolymerization of woody fibrous biomass as well as for the preparation of high-value chemical products.

Exploring the potential of conventional and flash pyrolysis methods for the valorisation of grape seed and chestnut shell biomass from agri-food industry waste

Residual biomass is a valuable and growing by-product, but often underutilized. This research aims to investigate the possible strategies for the energetic valorisation of agri-food industry wastes: grape seed and chestnut shell. Pyrolysis thermal process was the selected for this work. Applied to biomass, pyrolysis is a promising method for the simultaneous production of biochar, bio-oil, and gas. Two different pyrolysis processes were conducted: conventional pyrolysis at 750 °C and flash pyrolysis at 750 °C and 850 °C. Flash pyrolysis yielded superior product properties compared to conventional pyrolysis. The gas obtained through flash pyrolysis presented a four-fold higher high heating value due to increased CH4 and H2 content. Bio-oil contains over 90% of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and calorific value reached up to 32 MJ kg−1 for grape seed, which is 7% more than bioethanol HHV. Biochar can be used both as fuel or as activated carbon precursor due to its high carbon content (91%). Calorific value of chestnut shell biochar (32.7 MJ kg−1), comparable to mineral coals, increased by 72% with respect to the value of this untreated raw material. This work approved the potential of flash pyrolysis as a method to process biomass wastes in a renewable energy scenario.

Silage for upcycling oil from saithe (Pollachius virens) viscera – Effect of raw material freshness on the oil quality

The main objective of this study was to investigate how the freshness of saithe (Pollachius virens) viscera affected the quality, composition and yield of oil obtained by silaging. Minced viscera with and without liver were stored separately for up to 3 days at 4 °C before silaging at pH 3.8 for 6 days at 10 °C. An antioxidant mixture was added to evaluate the effect on the lipid oxidation. Oil was extracted thermally from untreated raw material during storage (day 0–3) and after silaging. For oil obtained after silaging of viscera with liver, the oil yields increased significantly when the raw material was stored for more than one day prior to the treatment. Use of fresh raw material (collected at day 0) led to significantly lower oxidation compared to longer raw material storage. After one day of storage, the oxidation was less dependent on the freshness. Silaging with antioxidants resulted in significantly lower formation of oxidation products compared to acid without antioxidants and the most significant differences were observed after one day of storage. Contents of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and total omega-3 fatty acids decreased significantly when the raw material was stored for 1–3 days prior to silaging compared to fresh raw material. Results obtained by high resolution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy indicated that oxidation of esterified DHA might explain the DHA decrease. The free fatty acid content was highest when fresh raw material was used and was most likely affected by the formation of cholesteryl esters observed in NMR spectra after longer storage. The study shows that although the oil quality is reduced during silaging, processing shortly after catch and use of antioxidants can optimize the quality resulting in less oxidized oil richer in omega-3 fatty acids.

One-pot process for simultaneously obtaining oil and sinigrin from field pennycress (Thlaspi arvense) seeds using microwave-assisted biphasic extraction

In the present study, microwave-assisted biphasic extraction (MABE) was first and successfully applied to the simultaneous extraction of oil and sinigrin from field pennycress (Thlaspi arvense) through a one-pot process. Four potentially influencing factors on the yields of oil and sinigrin, including the ratio of lower phase to solid, ratio of upper phase to solid, microwave irradiation power, and microwave irradiation time, were selected for further optimization by Box–Behnken design, and the optimal extraction conditions were obtained as follows: ratio of lower phase to solid of 21 mL/g, ratio of upper phase to solid of 12 mL/g, microwave irradiation power of 389 W, and microwave irradiation time of 33 min. Under the optimal extraction conditions, the yields of oil (23.46 % ± 0.78 %) and sinigrin (18.42 ± 0.35 mg/g) from T. arvense seeds were maximized. The GC–MS analysis illustrated that the T. arvense seed oil obtained by MABE using n-hexane and water biphasic solvents and Soxhlet extraction using n-hexane solvent exhibited a similar fatty acid composition. The seed oil acquired by the efficient MABE demonstrated a higher quality due to its lower acid value and higher iodine value. Scanning electron microscopy results showed that the cell structure of seed tissues was obviously disrupted compared with untreated raw material and that treated by the conventional extraction method. In general, the results indicated that the proposed MABE is an efficient method for the extraction of oil and sinigrin from T. arvense seeds.

An Industrial Scale, Mechanical Process for Improving Pellet Quality and Biogas Production from Hazelnut and Olive Pruning

The effects of a mechanical process on the solid fuel quality and anaerobic biodegradability of hazelnut and olive pruning were determined. The feedstock was treated using a two-stage dry milling process, followed by fractionation into four different products. The coarser products from the processing of both the raw materials, named C and M, were notable for the high reduction in both the ash and nitrogen content. Therefore, for hazelnut, they met the requirement of the EN ISO 17225-2 standard for both the industrial and residential pellets, whereas C and M from olive processing met the requirements only for the industrial pellet. The raw materials and the finest products from processing, named F1 and F2, were anaerobically digested in batch reactors under mesophilic conditions. The F2 product from hazelnut processing reached a methane yield of 118.1 Nm3 tVS−1, corresponding to a +70.1% gain over the untreated substrate, whereas F2 from olive pruning processing reached 176.5 Nm3 tVS−1, corresponding to a methane yield gain of about +93.5% over the untreated raw material. These results suggest that the investigated process could be successfully used to improve the quality of pruning and establish new markets for them.

Utilization of egg-laying hens (Gallus Gallus domesticus) for production of ingredients for human consumption and animal feed

BackgroundIn Norway, 3 million discarded egg-laying hens are destructed annually, which equals 1500 tons pure hen meat. Due to the slaughter methods used, this raw material is handled as a high-risk waste, while in reality it constitutes a source of valuable components like proteins and lipids.MethodsThis study assess different processing methods (thermal treatment, enzymatic hydrolysis and silaging) for utilization of discarded egg-laying hens for the production of ingredients for human consumption and animal feed. The processing methods were evaluated on the basis of quantity and quality of the obtained products.ResultsThermal treatment and enzymatic hydrolysis resulted in extraction of good quality lipids from the raw material. The separated oil (50.1–82.3% of the total lipid content in the raw material) was of high quality based on the content of free fatty acids (≤ 1.0%) and total oxidation value (≤ 3.9). Enzymatic hydrolysis also enabled separation of protein in the form of protein hydrolysate. Addition of Protamex and Papain+Bromelain significantly (p ≤ 0.05) increased the protein content (85.1–94.6%) and decreased the lipid content (0.3–1.1%) in the hydrolysate compared to autolysis (protein content: 64.8–72.3%, lipid content: 1.0–2.6%). Silaging increased the protein digestibility (63.2–79.7% compared to 57.3–66.2% for untreated raw material), and thus constitutes a good method for utilizing the protein content of the raw material for animal feed.ConclusionThe biotechnological processing methods thermal treatment, enzymatic hydrolysis and silaging can be used to increase the utilization of discarded egg-laying hens for production of ingredients for human consumption and animal feed.

Comparison study of organosolv pretreatment on hybrid pennisetum for enzymatic saccharification and lignin isolation

Organosolv pretreatment is a promising method for enhancing the enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass and the production of value-added chemicals. However, information on solvents and their interactions with biomass—specifically, their effects on residues and isolated lignin—is limited, hindering the effective utilization of biomass. Herein, the effects of organosolvs (including γ-valerolactone (GVL), tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol (THFA), ethanol and acetone) on enzymatic saccharification and lignin isolation of hybrid Pennisetum (HP) under 100 °C for 2 h were investigated. Compared with water, organic solvents can significantly enhance delignification, reducing the crystallinity of cellulose, thereby improving the enzymatic digestibility and lignin recovery. The enzymatic digestibility of substrates reached 87.5% (about 80.8% of the raw HP glucan was recovered) for the THFA pretreatment, which was 38.7% higher than water-treated material and 131.5% higher than untreated raw material. Moreover, Hansen solubility parameters (HSP) was used to evaluate the effects of solvents, which showed a strong correlation between lignin removal and the molecular weight distribution of isolated lignins, suggesting that HSP can aid in finding appropriate organic solvents for pretreatment. Finally, the chemical structures and thermal properties of solid residues and precipitated lignins were analyzed via SEM, XRD, FTIR and thermogravimetric analysis.

Stability of lysozyme incorporated into electrospun fibrous mats for wound healing

In this study, we investigated the feasibility of incorporating protein drugs into electrospun fibrous mats (EFMs) for wound healing using lysozyme as a model drug. Lysozyme nanoparticles (Lyso- NPs) were first obtained by electrospray. Lysozyme solutions were prepared with a binary solvent mixture of ethanol (EtOH)-water (H2O) at varied volume ratios. Subsequently, Lyso-NPs were suspended in poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) solutions using trifluoroethanol (TFE) as a solvent. Lyso-NPs loaded EFMs were obtained by electrospinning of the aforementioned suspensions, and the bioactivity of lysozyme in the EFMs was investigated using fluorescence-based assay kit. The electrosprayed Lyso-NPs were spherical with barely altered bioactivity as compared to the untreated raw material when using EtOH- H2O (30:70, v/v) as the solvent. After the subsequent electrospinning process, more than 90% of the bioactivity of lysozyme was retained compared to the raw material. The cytotoxicity of the produced EFMs was evaluated by thiazolyl blue tetrazolium bromide (MTT) study and the proliferation and distribution of mouse fibroblast cells (L929) growing on EFMs were investigated using 4,6-diamidino-2-phenylindol dihydrochloride (DAPI) for nucleic acid staining. Nearly negligible cytotoxicity of all the EFMs was observed according to the MTT study. Furthermore, it was observed that the L929 cells grew well on the Lyso-EFMs, especially those with the modification of polyethylene glycol (PEG) that was added to improve the hydrophilicity of EFMs. This study demonstrated that the electrospray/electrospinning processes are suitable for loading biomacromolecules to produce functionalized wound dressings to promote wound healing.

Fatigue Life Enhancement of Transverse and Longitudinal T-Joint on Offshore Steel Structure HSLAS460G2+M using Semi-automated GMAW and HFMI/PIT

This research deals with a method and procedure for enhancing the structural life of the commonly used steel structure in oil and gas industries HSLA S460G2+M with a thickness of 10 mm. The type of joint and welding process is T-joint with transverse and longitudinal attachment welded using semi-automated GMAW. Filler wire ER80S-Ni1 and mixed shielding gas (80% Ar / 20% CO2) is used as material consumables. At first, the best suitable welding parameters are comprehensively investigated, prepared, tested and qualified according to welding procedure specification (WPS) qualification requirements. Further, the weld toe is treated by using HFMI/PIT with a frequency of 90Hz, 2 mm pin radius and air pressure of 6 bars. In accordance with the recommendation of the International Welding Institute (IIW), fatigue test is conducted using constant amplitude loading with the stress ratio of 0.1 and loading stresses from 55% to 75% of the yield strength of the material. Finally, the results of the fatigue experimental are compared with the fatigue recommendation of as-welded and HFMI/PIT of IIW as well as the untreated raw material. As a conclusion, it is observed that the fatigue life is increased up to 300% compared to IIW and 70% to as-welded. It is also obvious that treated transverse T-joint shows significant improvement than the longitudinal attachment.

Enhanced production of exopolysaccharides using industrial grade starch as sole carbon source

Industrial grade soluble corn starch was used directly and effectively as the fermentation substrate for microbial exopolysaccharides production. Bacillus subtilis mutant strain NJ308 grew with untreated starch raw material as the sole carbon source. The real-time PCR results demonstrated that up-regulated genes encoding N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase, mannosyltransferase, and N-acetylglucosamine-1-phosphate uridyltransferase were the key elements of B. subtilis mutant strain NJ308 for exopolysaccharides production from industrial grade starch. Subsequently, the culture conditions for B. subtilis NJ308 were optimized using Plackett-Burman design and central composite design methods, and the related key genes in the synthesis pathway of exopolysaccharides from the starch raw material were analyzed by real-time PCR. The maximum exopolysaccharides titration (3.41g/L) was obtained when the initial starch concentration was 45g/L. This corresponds to volumetric productivity values of 71.04mg/Lh.

Enhanced solubility and intestinal absorption of cisplatin by coating with nano-hydroxyapatite

We examined oral administration of the poorly water-soluble anti-cancer drug cisplatin (CDDP), using a novel formulation prepared by coating CDDP with nano-hydroxyapatite (CDDP/HAP formulation). Solubility testing showed that dissolution of CDDP from the formulation after 6 h was about 2.5 times that of untreated CDDP raw material. In single-dose oral administration testing in rats, the blood concentration of CDDP as shown by the area under the blood concentration time curve (AUC(0–24)) in the CDDP/HAP formulation group was about 7 times that in a CDDP group at the same dose and AUC(0–72) values for the CDDP/HAP formulation group were concentration-dependent. The AUC(0–72) value for the formulation group was lower at the same dose but almost 1.5 times higher at double the dose compared with rats treated intravenously with CDDP. Growth inhibition of cancer cells was no less when using the CDDP/HAP formulation than with CDDP, and in Lewis lung carcinoma-inoculated mice, the life span of those treated orally with CDDP/HAP formulation was equivalent to that of mice treated intravenously with CDDP. Our results suggest that the formulation using nano-HAP may provide an oral substitute for intravenous infusion of CDDP in cancer patients, so that patient quality of life may be improved.

Enhanced ethanol production by removal of cutin and epicuticular waxes of wheat straw by plasma assisted pretreatment

The removal of cutin and epicuticular waxes of wheat straw by PAP (plasma assisted pretreatment) was investigated. Wax removal was observed by Attenuated Total Reflectance-Fourier Transform Infrared (ATR-FTIR) as chemical change on the surface of most intensively pretreated samples as well as with Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) imaging. Compounds resulting from wax degradation were analyzed in the washing water of PAP wheat straw. The wax removal enhanced enzymatic hydrolysis yield and, consequently, the efficiency of wheat straw conversion into ethanol. In total, PAP increased the conversion rate of the raw material carbohydrate content up to 67%, compared to untreated raw material.

One-step processes for in situ transesterification to biodiesel and lutein extraction from microalgae Phaeodactylum using instant controlled pressure drop (DIC)

Abstract A one-step biodiesel fabrication in situ transesterification (ISTE) process and a value adding to residual material through lutein extraction were defined in the case of microalgae Phaeodactylum. This work aims at intensifying these two processes, thus reducing energy consumption and manufacturing cost, using the well-known instant controlled pressure drop (DIC) as a thermomechanical pretreatment. A two factor central composite design (12 samples) was used to optimize DIC processing parameters, which were the saturated steam pressure and heating time. The responses (dependent variables) were defined from the lipid extraction, the ISTE and the lutein extraction. Lipids and biodiesel, the mono-alkyl fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) were isolated and analyzed using an Iatroscan Thin-layer chromatography (TLC)-flame ionization detector (FID) instrument. Lutein extraction utilized an alcoholic mixture. The isolated lutein was identified by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The overall results confirmed the importance of these DIC parameters and that the saturated steam pressure was the most significant parameter. Under optimized conditions, it led to an increase of about 27% in total lipids and more than 75% in FAMEs yield, as well as twice more lutein extractability, both compared with the untreated raw material.

Hydrothermal Treatment and Enzymatic Saccharification of Corncobs

Hydrothermal pretreatment of corncobs in aqueous media under non-isothermal conditions is an effective means for solubilizing hemicellulose fractions and improving cellulose hydrolysis. The effects of a range of pretreatment severities (temperatures of 170 to 230 °C) on the conversion of corncobs into fermentable sugars were examined. The major differences between the conversions of untreated and pretreated corncobs were the dissolution of hemicelluloses into the prehydrolyzate and the partial removal and relocation of lignin on the external surface of biomass particles (in the form of recondensed droplets) in the pretreated corncobs. Hemicellulose dissolution increased with pretreatment temperature. The maximum sugar recovery (272.3 g/kg raw material) and the minimum accumulation of inhibitory compounds in the prehydrolyzate were observed following treatment at 190 °C. While the fibrils of the untreated raw material remained largely intact, serious disruption of the cell wall was observed in SEM images of the surfaces of pretreated samples. Accordingly, the cellulose digestibilities of residues increased from 26.8% for the raw material to almost 100% for the 190 °C-treated sample. It was concluded that low severity hydrothermal pretreatment can be successfully applied to corncobs to obtain high cellulose digestibility while operating at low enzyme charges.

Sugar recoveries from wheat straw following treatments with the fungus Irpex lacteus

Irpex lacteus is a white-rot fungus capable of increasing sugar recovery from wheat straw; however, in order to incorporate biopretreatment in bioethanol production, some process specifications need to be optimized. With this objective, I. lacteus was grown on different liquid culture media for use as inoculums. Additionally, the effect of wheat straw particle size, moisture content, organic and inorganic supplementations, and mild alkali washing during solid-state fermentation (SSF) on sugar yield were investigated. Wheat thin stillage was the best medium for producing inoculums. Supplementation of wheat straw with 0.3mM Mn(II) during SSF resulted in glucose yields of 68% as compared to yields of 62% and 33% for cultures grown without supplementation or on untreated raw material, respectively after 21days. Lignin loss, wheat straw digestibility, peroxidase activity, and fungal biomass were also correlated with sugar yields in the search for biopretreatment efficiency indicators.

Impact of Instant Controlled Pressure Drop (DIC) Treatment on Drying Kinetics and Caffeine Extraction from Green Coffee Beans

<p>The present work is directed towards the impacts of Détente InstantanéeContrôléeDIC (French, for instant controlled pressure-drop) in terms of decaffeination and drying of Ethiopian green coffee beans (GCBs).DICconsisted in subjecting the product to a high-pressure saturated steam during some seconds and ended with an abrupt pressure drop towards a vacuum. A conventional aqueous extraction and a hot air-drying took place after DIC treatment. Inthis study, Response Surface Method (RSM) was used withDIC saturated steam pressure P, thermal treatment time t, and initial moisture content W asthe independent variables. Both direct DICextract recovered from the vacuum tank and the aqueous extracts wereanalyzed and quantified using the reversed phase-HPLC. With decaffeination ratiosas dependent variables, P and Wwere the most significant operating parameters; whilet was much weaker.Total decaffeination ratio could reach 99.5% after DIC treatment at specificconditions of W=11.00% db, P=0.1 MPa, and t=35swhile it was only 58% when achieved with untreated raw material.</p> The effective diffusivity and the starting accessibility were calculated from the diffusion/surface interaction kinetic model of hotair drying after DIC treatment. They dramatically increased with P and t while W had a weak impact.Thus, at the optimized DICconditions, and increased from 0.33 to 12.60 10<sup>-10</sup>m² s<sup>-1</sup>and from 0.75 to 11.53 g/100 g db, respectively. Drying time needed to reach 5% db became 60 min instead of 528 min for untreated raw material. <p>RSM analysis showed that the DIC saturated steam pressure P and the initial moisture content W were the most significant variables both affecting the decaffeination ratio; the impact of the total thermal processing time t was much weaker. Total decaffeination ratio could reach 99.5% after DIC treatment at specific conditions of W=11.00% db, P=0.1 MPa, and t=35 s while it was only 58% when achieved with untreated raw material.</p> <p>Using diffusion/surface interaction model of hot-air drying kinetics just after DIC treatment, we could observe that DIC expansion dramatically improved the drying kinetic parameters, with P and t as the most significant DIC operating parameters while the impact of W was much weaker. Thus, the optimized DIC treatment allowed the effective diffusivity and the starting accessibility to increase from 0.33 10<sup>-10</sup> m² s<sup>-1</sup> and 0.75 g/100 g db to 12.60 10<sup>-10</sup> m² s<sup>-1</sup> and 11.53 g/100 g db, respectively. Drying time needed to reach 5% db became 60 min instead of 528 min for untreated raw material.</p>

Improvement of methane production from greenhouse residues: Optimization of thermal and H2SO4 pretreatment process by experimental design

Production of biogas from greenhouse residues, outcome of intensive greenhouse vegetable cultivation, was investigated in this study. Plackett–Burman design (PBD) combined with central composite design (CCD) was employed for the optimization of thermal-H2SO4 pretreatment of greenhouse residues to obtain maximum biochemical methane potential (BMP). The effects of operational parameters; acid concentration, initial solid content, reaction time, reaction temperature and mixing speed on sCOD and sSugar were studied with PBD. The acid concentration and reaction temperature were found to be effective on sCOD and sSugar results. CCD was used for further optimization and the above-mentioned parameters were investigated in detail. A cost driven approach was preferred for the first optimization based on sCOD and sSugar. Acid concentration was minimized, whereas reaction temperature, sCOD and sSugar were maximized. For the second optimization based on BMP, desired goal was selected as maximum BMP, while reaction temperature and acid concentration were set within ranges. In the first optimization, pretreatment with 2.59% H2SO4 concentration at 100°C reaction temperature yielded a maximum production of sCOD and sSugar. sCOD increase (%) and sSugar concentration were found as 75.80% and 28.63 mgGlucose/gVS, respectively. In the second optimization, pretreatment with 0% H2SO4 at 78°C reaction temperature resulted in maximum BMP production. The amount of biogas production obtained was 274.1mLCH4/gVS under these conditions. The enhancement of BMP compared to untreated raw material (231.3mLCH4/gVS) was found as 18.5%.