Effects of Iron, Lime, and Porous Ceramic Powder Additives on Methane Production from Brewer’s Spent Grain in the Anaerobic Digestion Process

Abstract

The process of anaerobic digestion used for methane production can be enhanced by dosing various additive materials. The effects of these materials are dependent on various factors, including the processed substrate, process conditions, and the type and amount of the additive material. As part of the study, three different materials—iron powder, lime, and milled porous ceramic—were added to the 30-day anaerobic digestion of the brewer’s spent grain to improve its performance. Different doses ranging from 0.2 to 2.3 gTS × L−1 were tested, and methane production kinetics were determined using the first-order model. The results showed that the methane yield ranged from 281.4 ± 8.0 to 326.1 ± 9.3 mL × gVS−1, while substrate biodegradation ranged from 56.0 ± 1.6 to 68.1 ± 0.7%. The addition of lime reduced the methane yield at almost all doses by −6.7% to −3.3%, while the addition of iron powder increased the methane yield from 0.8% to 9.8%. The addition of ceramic powder resulted in a methane yield change ranging from −2.6% to 4.6%. These findings suggest that the use of additive materials should be approached with caution, as even slight changes in the amount used can impact methane production.

Keywords

• brewers’ spent grain
• biomethane production kinetics
• methane fermentation
• biogas
• anaerobic digestion
• iron powder