METHANE PRODUCTION BY ANAEROBIC DIGESTION OF BIOMASS FINAL REPORT OF INNOVATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM SUBTASK FOR PERIOD DECEMBER 1977-SEPTEMBER 1978

摘要

The work to date has established that steam treatment of manure fibers can result in significant yields of easily fermented sugars. However, prolonged heating at temperatures in excess of 190°C tends to promote ceramelization of the sugars. These caramelization products evidently inhibit the methanoqenic bacteria to a greater extent than the acidogenic species since even the most severely treated fibers, which yielded only minimal amounts of gas, resulted in greater yields of bacterial proteir than untreated fibers. Among the heat treated fibers, only those treated at 170°C resulted in gas production equivalent to or greater than the untreated fibers.