Evaluation of continuous biohydrogen production from enzymatically treated cornstalk hydrolysate

Enzymatically treated cornstalk hydrolysate was tested as substrate for H2 production by Thermoanaerobacterium thermosaccharolyticum W16 in a continuous stirred tank reactor. The performance of strain W16 to ferment the main components of hydrolysate, mixture of glucose and xylose, in continuous culture was conducted at first, and then T. thermosaccharolyticum W16 was evaluated to ferment fully enzymatically hydrolysed cornstalk to produce H2 in continuous operation mode. At the dilution rate of 0.020 h−1, the H2 yield and production rate reached a maximum of 1.9 mol H2 mol−1 sugars and 8.4 mmol H2 L−1 h−1, respectively, accompanied with the maximum glucose and xylose utilizations of 86.3% and 77.6%. Continuous H2 production from enzymatically treated cornstalk hydrolysate in this research provides a new direction for economic, efficient, and harmless H2 production.