Valorisation of alperujo through the production and concentration of volatile fatty acids with high industrial interest
This project proposes the anaerobic fermentation of alperujo under controlled pH conditions to maximize the production and accumulation of volatile fatty acids (VFA), and its recovery through an electrodialysis system. This proposal is highly innovative since the combination of both emerging technologies has only been studied with simple synthetic compounds, being still necessary to evaluate the process for a matrix as complex as alperujo, which can be affected by different interrelated mechanisms not previously contemplated. VFAs, such as acetic or propionic acid, are gaining marked attention due to their role as basic molecules in many biorefinery processes to produce bioplastics, high added value chemicals or for the generation of biofuels.