STUDIES OF CHEMICAL-THERMAL PRE-TREATMENT IN BIOMASS TO USE FOR BIOGAS PRODUCTION IN CUBA
CARLOS M. MARTÍNEZ HERNÁNDEZ *
Universidad Central “Marta Abreu” de las Villas, Carretera a Camajuaní Km.5.5. CP: 54830, Santa Clara, Villa Clara, Cuba
HANS OECHSNER
Universidad de Hohenheim, Landensanstalt fur Agrartechnik und Bioenergie (740), Garbenstrasse 9, Stuttgart, Germany
ANNETT REINHARDT
Universidad de Hohenheim, Landensanstalt fur Agrartechnik und Bioenergie (740), Garbenstrasse 9, Stuttgart, Germany
YASER GARCÍA LÓPEZ
Universidad Central “Marta Abreu” de las Villas, Carretera a Camajuaní Km.5.5. CP: 54830, Santa Clara, Villa Clara, Cuba
LISBET LÓPEZ GONZÁLEZ
Universidad de Sancti Spiritus, José Martí Pérez, UNISS. CP: 60100, Cuba
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
In this work it is carried out a study of the influence of the application from a chemical-thermal pre-treatment to different substrates utilized for the biogas production. The substrates studied were biomass of agricultural origin (sorghum-R-132, sunflower JE-94, corn, Colocasia esculenta) and a tavern residual (white bread). The pre-treatment consisted on the addition of NaOH, 4N (in dose of 0.024 g de NaOH, 4N. 30-1 mL of biomass), followed by a heating at 180oC during 30 minutes. Next the substrates underwent a biodigestion process and the results were compared with the obtained ones in absence of the pre-treatment. Increments were achieved in the maximum specific biogas yield in the substrates of the sorghum R-132 (697,83 lN/kgSV), Colocasia esculenta (166,67 lN/kgSV) and bread (449,14 lN/kgSV), while with sunflowers JE-94 (27,58 lN/kgSV) and corn (17,24 lN/kgSV) it happens the opposite. The best result took place with the sorghum R-132, being obtained more than 100% increment in the maximum specific biogas yield. In the other hand, it was noted that the pH evolves in a similar way in the subjected and not subjected biomasses to the pre valued chemical-thermal treatment.
Keywords: Biomass, agricultural wastes, thermal and chemical pretreatment