Title: Effect of the solid content on biogas production from Jatropha curcas seed cake

Authors: Nusara Sinbuathong; Junko Munakata-Marr; Boonsong Sillapacharoenkul; Suphang Chulalaksananukul

Addresses: Scientific Equipment and Research Division, Kasetsart University Research and Development Institute (KURDI), and KU-Biodiesel Project, Center of Excellence for Jatropha, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand. ' Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado, 80401, USA. ' Department of Agro-Industrial Technology, Faculty of Applied Science, King Mongkut's University of Technology North Bangkok, Bangkok 10800, Thailand. ' Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Mahidol University, Salaya Campus, Nakornpathom, 73170, Thailand

Abstract: Anaerobic conversion of Jatropha curcas seed cake was studied in a five-litre working volume batch reactor at 30°C. Over a 60-day operating period, a slurry of seed cake in water at a 1 : 20 seed cake-to-water ratio showed the highest methane yield of 296 litre methane/kg Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) degraded (or 156 litre/kg of Jatropha curcas seed cake added) and achieved 52% COD removal. The results revealed that Jatropha curcas seed cake treated anaerobically can be a good source of methane, with optimal seed cake-to-water ratio in the range of 1 : 20 to 1 : 10.

Keywords: agricultural waste; biogas production; global warming; Jatropha curcas; methane yield; solid content; anaerobic conversion; chemical oxygen demand; COD removal.

DOI: 10.1504/IJGW.2011.044403

International Journal of Global Warming, 2011 Vol.3 No.4, pp.403 - 416

Received: 22 Aug 2011
Accepted: 12 Oct 2011
Published online: 29 Jan 2015 *

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