Simultaneous production of acetate and methane from glycerol by selective enrichment of hydrogenotrophic methanogens in extreme-thermophilic (70°C) mixed culture fermentation

Journal article (2015)

Authors

Fang Zhang Yanshan University
Y. Zhang Flight Performance and Propulsion - Aerospace Engineering , CAS Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, University of Science and Technology of China
Y.H. Chen University of Science and Technology of China, CAS Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, BN/Nynke Dekker Lab - AS
Kun Dai Yanshan University
Mark C.M. van Loosdrecht BT/Environmental Biotechnology - AS
Raymond Jianxiong Zeng University of Science and Technology of China
Research Group
BT/Environmental Biotechnology (AS) (TU Delft)
Glycerol Methane Mixed culture fermentation Acetate Extreme thermophilic Hydrogenotrophic methanogens
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Published Date

05-06-2015

Language

English

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Faculty

Applied Sciences

Department

BT/Biotechnologie

Research Group

BT/Environmental Biotechnology

Abstract

The feasibility of simultaneous production of acetate and methane from glycerol was investigated by selective enrichment of hydrogenotrophic methanogens in an extreme-thermophilic (70. °C) fermentation. Fed-batch experiments showed acetate was produced at the concentration up to 13.0. g/L. A stable operation of the continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) was reached within 100. days. Acetate accounted for more than 90 w/w% of metabolites in the fermentation liquid. The yields of methane and acetate were close to the theoretical yields with 0.74-0.80. mol-methane/mol-glycerol and 0.63-0.70. mol-acetate/mol-glycerol. The obtained microbial community was characterized. Hydrogenotrophic methanogens, mainly Methanothermobacter thermautotrophicus formed 93% of the methanogenogenic community. This confirms that a high temperature (70. °C) could effectively select for hydrogenotrophic methanogenic archaea. Thermoanaerobacter spp. was the main bacterium forming 91.5% of the bacterial population. This work demonstrated the conversion of the byproduct of biodiesel production, glycerol, to acetate as a chemical and biogas for energy generation.