@article {SURRA2018193,
	title = {Maize cob waste pre-treatments to enhance biogas production through co-anaerobic digestion with OFMSW},
	journal = {Waste Management},
	volume = {72},
	year = {2018},
	note = {n/a},
	pages = {193 - 205},
	abstract = {<p>In the present work, the enhancement of biogas and methane yields through anaerobic co-digestion of the pre-hydrolised Organic Fraction of Municipal Solid Wastes (hOFMSW) and Maize Cob Wastes (MCW) in a lab-scale thermophilic anaerobic reactor was tested. In order to increase its biodegradability, MCW were submitted to an initial pre-treatment screening phase as follows: (i) microwave (MW) irradiation catalysed by NaOH, (ii) MW catalysed by glycerol in water and alkaline water solutions, (iii) MW catalysed by H2O2 with pH of 9.8 and (iv) chemical pre-treatment at room temperature catalysed by H2O2 with 4 h reaction time. The pre-treatments cataysed by H2O2 were performed with 2\% MCW (wMCW/v alkaline water) at ratios of 0.125, 0.25, 0.5 and 1.0 (wH2O2/wMCW). The pre-treatment that presented the most favourable balance between sugars, lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose solubilisations, as well as low production of phenolic compound and furfural (inhibitors), was the chemical pre-treatment catalysed by H2O2, at room temperature, with a ratio of 0.5 wH2O2/wMCW (Pre1). This Pre1 was then optimised testing reaction times of 1, 2 and 3 days at a different pH (11.5) and MCW percentage (10\% w/v). The optimised pre-treatment that presented the best results, considering the same criteria defined above, was the one carried out during 3 days, at pH 9.8 and 10\% MCW w/v (Pre2). The anaerobic reactor was initially fed with the hOFMSW obtained from the hydrolysis tank of an industrial AD plant. The hOFMSW was than co-digested with MCW submitted to the pre-treatment Pre1. In another assay, hOFMSW was co-digested with MCW submitted pre-treatment Pre 2. The co-digestion of hOFMSW + Pre1 increased the biogas yield by 38.9\% and methane yield by 29.7\%, when compared to the results obtained with hOFMSW alone. The co-digestion of hOFMSW + Pre2 increased biogas yield by 46.0\% and CH4 yield by 36.3\%. In both cases, the methane content obtained in the biogas streams was above 66\% v/v. These results show that pre-treatment with H2O2, at room temperature, is a promising low cost way to valorize MCW through co-digestion with hOFMSW.</p>
},
	keywords = {Anaerobic co-digestion, Biogas, Maize cob wastes, OFMSW, Pre-treatments},
	issn = {0956-053X},
	doi = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2017.11.004},
	url = {http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0956053X17308024},
	author = {Elena Surra and Bernardo, Maria and Nuno Lapa and Isabel Esteves and Fonseca, Isabel and Jos{\'e} Paulo Mota}
}
