Bio-hydrogen production from cheese whey powder (CWP) solution: Comparison of thermophilic and mesophilic dark fermentations

Cheese whey powder (CWP) solution was used as the raw material for hydrogen gas production by mesophilic (35 °C) and thermophilic (55 °C) dark fermentations at constant initial total sugar and bacteria concentrations. Thermophilic fermentation yielded higher cumulative hydrogen formation (CHF = 171 mL), higher hydrogen yield (111 mL H2 g−1 total sugar), and higher hydrogen formation rate (3.46 mL H2 L−1 h−1) as compared to mesophilic fermentation. CHF in both cases were correlated with the Gompertz equation and the constants were determined. Despite the longer lag phase, thermophilic fermentation yielded higher specific H2 formation rate (2.10 mL H2 g−1cells h−1). Favorable results obtained in thermophilic fermentation were probably due to elimination of H2 consuming bacteria at high temperatures and selection of fast hydrogen gas producers.

► Cheese whey powder was fermented under thermophilic and mesophilic conditions for H2 gas production.
► Thermophilic fermentation (55 °C) yielded higher H2 gas formation rate and the yield than the mesophilic.
► The data were correlated with the Gompertz equation to determine the kinetic constants.