Com stalk wastes

Abstract Efficient conversion of com stalk wastes into biohydrogen gas by microorganisms was reported for the first time. Batch tests were carried out to analyze influences of several environmental factors on biohydrogen production from com stalk wastes. The maximum yield of hydrogen 58.6 ml H2/g TVS was observed at 100 h, the value is about 22-fold as compared with that of raw com stalk wastes. The results indicated that the HC1 pretreatment of the substrate plays a key role in the conversion of the com stalk wastes into biohydrogen. 

Keywords biohydrogen production, com stalk wastes, biological fermentation 1. Introduction... 

It is well known that cellulose in nature substrates, such as com stalk wastes, is persistent in the environment and remains as an environmental pollutant. Except that some of them were employed as feedstuff of livestock and fowl, most of them were set on lire or discarded as environmental pollutants. Cellulosic materials can, however, be a valuable and vast renewable resource. 

Here, our research interest is to convert the biomass containing cellulose, such as com stalk wastes into hydrogen gas by natural anaerobic microorganism. For this purpose, several environmental factors, such as pretreatment of substrate, initial pH and substrate concentration, were selected as target factors in conversion of com stalk wastes into biohydrogen gas by cow dung composts. 

The com stalk wastes used as substrate were obtained from the suburbs of Amman city. Before the substrate were degraded by microorganisms, the mixture of com stalk and dilute HC1 (or NaOH) solution was boiled 30 min in beakers, and then neutralized to pH = 7 with either dilute NaOH or HC1 solution. TVS value was determined as follows ... 

To the best of our knowledge, the direct conversion of raw com stalk into biohydrogen gas by microorganisms is difficult, e.g., the maximal hydrogen yield of raw beer lees, wheat straw and com stalk wastes is only 6.8, 0.5, and 2.68 ml H2/g TVS, respectively (Fan et al., 2003). Therefore, the... 

However, the research of the conversion of the biomass containing cellulose, such as com stalk, into biohydrogen is lacking. In general, it is hard to convert directly raw crop stalk wastes into biohydrogen gas by microbe anaerobic fermentation because of their complex chemical composition, e.g., cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, protein, fat. 

For active carbon manufacture, rice husk, com stalks, wheat straw, coir pith and cotton gin waste are better rated candidates. 

Corncobs and com stalks Cottonseed hulls Distillery waste Fish... 

Another feature of today s process technology is the development of recycling processes for a wide range of materials and wastes, and improvements in methods for disposing of municipal wastes. Agricultural wastes such as wood chippings and com stalks are an important source of lignocellulose. 

Chen, G., Zheng, Z., Yang, S., Fang, C., Zou, X., Luo, Y., 2010. Experimental co-digestion of com stalk and vermicompost to improve biogas production. Waste Management 30, 1834-1840. 

Yan, S.B., Chen, X.S., Wu, J.Y., Wang, P.C., 2012b. Ethanol production from concentrated food waste hydrolysates with yeast cells immobilized on com stalk. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology 94 (3), 829—838. 

---