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Full-Text Articles in Bioresource and Agricultural Engineering
Pretreatment Of Scenedesmus Sp. Biomass As A Potential Anaerobic Digestion Substrate, Xinyi E, Czarena Crofcheck
Pretreatment Of Scenedesmus Sp. Biomass As A Potential Anaerobic Digestion Substrate, Xinyi E, Czarena Crofcheck
Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications
Algal biomass can be a potential substrate for anaerobic digestion. However, raw algae cells show a resistance to biological degradation, resulting in a slower methane production rate. Varying thermal and chemical pretreatments of algal biomass were investigated in an attempt to increase soluble organic matter (SOM) yield, which would result in enhanced methane production during subsequent anaerobic digestion. Scenedesmus sp. was harvested using three different procedures: with flocculation, with flocculation and drying, and without flocculation or drying. For all pretreatments and algae types, fluorescence micrographs were obtained to visually confirm the degradation of the algal cell walls. A complete 2 …
Extrusion And Alkali Extrusion Of Corn Stover To Improve Enzyme Saccharification, Shujing Zhang
Extrusion And Alkali Extrusion Of Corn Stover To Improve Enzyme Saccharification, Shujing Zhang
Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research
Biomass pretreatment constitutes an important part in the whole process of bioethanol production. The main goals of pretreatment include improving cellulose accessibility to enzyme, enhancing sugar yields from hemicellulose, achieving low capital and energy costs, as well as low sugar degradation and low chemical requirements. Extrusion, as a continuous and high throughput pretreatment method, requires much less chemical compared to traditional alkali pretreatment. In this research, twin-screw extrusion was evaluated for its effect with regard to promoting sugar yields from corn stover. Also, the underlying factors contributing to this improvement were examined. It was found that extrusion with no chemicals …