Optimization of microwave pretreatment of lignocellulosic waste for enhancing methane production: Hyacinth as an example

Highlights

The physical structure of hyacinth was disrupted by microwave pretreatment.

Methane production increased by 38.3% with microwave pretreatment.

The maximum methane production and maximum methane production rate were optimized.

Mechanism of enhanced methane production by microwave pretreatment was analyzed.

Abstract

The effect of microwave pretreatment on the anaerobic degradation of hyacinth was investigated using response surface methodology (RSM). The components of lignin and the other constituents of hyacinth were altered by microwave pretreatment. Comparison of the near-infrared spectra of hyacinth pretreated by microwave irradiation and water-heating pretreatment revealed that no new compounds were generated during hyacinth pretreatment by microwave irradiation. Atomic force microscopy observations indicated that the physical structures of hyacinth were disrupted by microwave pretreatment. The yield of methane per gram of the microwave-irradiated substrate increased by 38.3% as compared to that of the substrate pretreated via water-heating. A maximum methane yield of 221 mL·g-sub^–1 was obtained under the optimum pretreatment conditions (substrate concentration (PSC) = 20.1 g·L^–1 and pretreatment time (PT) = 14.6 min) using RSM analysis. A maximum methane production rate of 0.76 mL·h^–1·g-sub^–1 was obtained by applying PSC= 9.5 g·L^–1 and PT= 11 min. Interactive item coefficient analysis showed that methane production was dependent on the PSC and PT, separately, whereas the interactive effect of the PSC and PT on methane production was not significant. The same trend was also observed for the methane production rate.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

Microwave pretreatment / Response surface methodology / Methane production / Hyacinth / Anaerobic digestion

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 51308010), the Scientific Research Project of Beijing Educational Committee (No. KM201210005028), the Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education of China (No. 20131103120017), and the Top Youth Team of Ministry, Department of Beijing Municipal Party Committee (No. Q0004018201502).

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