title: Biochar enables anaerobic digestion of aqueous phase from intermediate pyrolysis of biomass.
abstract: Intermediate pyrolysis produces a two-phase liquid whose aqueous phase is characterized by low heating value and high water content (aqueous pyrolysis liquid, APL). Anaerobic digestion can be the straightest way to produce a fuel (methane) from this material. Batch tests showed poor performance in anaerobic digestion of APL, which underlined the inhibition of biological process. Nutrient supplementation was ineffective, whereas biochar addition increased yield of methane (60±15% of theoretical) with respect to pure APL (34±6% of theoretical) and improved the reaction rate. On the basis of batch results, a semi-continuous biomethanation test was set up, by adding an increasingly amount of APL in a 30ml reactor preloaded with biochar (0.8gml(-1)). With a daily input of 5gd(-1)l(-1) of APL (corresponding to overall amount of 0.1kgl(-1) added before the end of the study) the yield of methane was 65±5% of the theoretical.
authors.affiliation: Centro Interdipartimentale di Ricerca Industriale: Energia Ambiente, Università di Bologna, Via Sant'Alberto 163, 48123 Ravenna, Italy. Electronic address: cristian.torri@unibo.it.
authors.forename: Cristian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Torri
authors.affiliation: Centro Interdipartimentale di Ricerca Industriale: Energia Ambiente, Università di Bologna, Via Sant'Alberto 163, 48123 Ravenna, Italy.
authors.forename: Daniele
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fabbri
mesh_terms: D001421:Bacteria, Anaerobic / Q000502:physiology*; D019149:Bioreactors / Q000382:microbiology; D002606:Charcoal / Q000378:metabolism*; D006358:Hot Temperature; D008697:Methane / Q000378:metabolism*; D044367:Phase Transition; D035261:Plant Components, Aerial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000382:microbiology*; D012722:Sewage; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D003313:Zea mays / Q000737:chemistry / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D012722:Sewage; C540010:biochar; D014867:Water; D002606:Charcoal; D008697:Methane
keywords: Anaerobic digestion; Bio-oil; Pyrolysis; Thermochemical-biological; Volatile fatty acids