Co-digestion of lignocellulosics with glucose using thermophilic acidogens

Thermomechanical pulping (TMP) wastewater was tested for the feasibility of augmenting readily biodegradable organics for enhanced microbial hydrolysis by thermophilic acidogens. A biochemical methane potential test showed approximately 13 +/- 1% of the chemical oxygen demand was anaerobically biodegradable. Three glucose concentrations set up in a ratio of 1:3:6, 5, 15, and 30 g/l, were tested to induce the production of short-chain organic acids and ethanol. Compared to the control with no glucose addition, more than six times of the fragmentation of lignocellulosics in the wastewater was achieved. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.