Influence of F/M and C/N ratio in the anaerobic acidogenic processing of sugarcane bagasse hydrolysate

Abstract

The management of residues like the sugarcane bagasse, in order to obtain products of high value as organic volatile acids and biohydrogen/ethanol as energy carriers, is a feasible application of bioprocessing. In this sense, the proposal of obtaining energy and valuable products through bioprocessing in an interesting alternative to this residue disposal. Sugarcane bagasse is mainly constituted by lignin hemicellulose and cellulose. Cellulosic fraction can be hydrolyzed and fermented to obtain second generation ethanol. However, hemicellulosic fraction also could be extracted and hydrolyzed and converted to hydrogen and volatile organic acids through anaerobic acidogenic bioprocessing. Recent works about hydrogen production by anaerobic processing pointed out three possible stabilizing factors: specific organic loading, temperature and medium C/N ratio. Thus, the present project aims a fundamental study in the obtaining of both volatile organic acids and hydrogen from xylose and the sugarcane bagasse hydrolysate. (AU)