Effect of hydrothermal and Ca(OH)2 pretreatments on anaerobic digestion of sugarcane bagasse for biogas production

The effect of hydrothermal (HTP) and Ca(OH)2 pretreatments on the biogas produced by the anaerobic digestion of sugarcane bagasse (SCB) was studied. HTP, Ca(OH)2 and combination pretreatment had significant effects on hemicellulose and lignin degradation during pretreatment and methane yield through digestion. The highest biogas production observed in combination pretreatment HTP 180 + 8.5% of SCB reached 318 mL/g Volatile Solids (VS), which were 47% higher than the untreated SCB, with the highest methane content 69% and highest lignin degradation 44%. The functional groups and the structural changes in the pretreated SCB have also been analyzed by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) analysis. Kinetic analysis of methane production potential from SCB was determined to compare ultimate methane yields and kinetic constants. The results of this research contribute useful information to improve the efficiency of anaerobic digestion of SCB by pretreatment.