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Effect of thermal and acid pre-treatment on increasing organic loading rate of anaerobic digestion of coffee pulp for biogas production

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Abstract

The coffee pulp is the solid waste most generated during the coffee humid pulping. It contains an elevated concentration of organic matter and lignocellulosic materials. In addition, the low rate of biodegradability of the coffee pulp waste may cause severe environmental damage. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of acid and thermal pre-treatments in the biodegradability rate, followed by an anaerobic digestion of the coffee pulp and collect biogas production. Thermal and acid pre-treatments (50, 70, and 90 °C, and concentration of 2.5, 5, and 10% V·V−1 of acetic acid, respectively) were applied, both during 1 h, evaluating the organic matter solubilization. Posteriorly, the biodegradability and biogas production using anaerobic digestion for 35 days were evaluated. Finally, during 90 days in semicontinuous, the increase of applied organic load of 1 kg VS m−3 day−1 with Δ 1 kg VS m−3 day−1 every 30 days until reaching 3 kg m−3 day−1 was evaluated. The thermal pretreatment to 90 °C and 1 h improved the solubility and hydrolysis considered limiting of the anaerobic process, reducing the hydraulic retention time from 21 to 15 days, and increasing the biogas yields (0.92 L g VSrem−1 year 79.8% CH4).

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Funding

This study was partially funded by the “Tecnológico Nacional de México” with their “Convocatoria 2020: Proyecto de Investigación Científica.”

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Tecnológico Nacional de México, Instituto Tecnológico Superior de Huatusco, Avenida 25 Poniente 100, Col. Reserva Territorial, Huatusco, Veracruz, CP 94100, México

    Nava-Valente Noemi, Del Ángel-Coronel Oscar Andrés & Atenodoro-Alonso Jesús

  2. Universidad Politécnica de Huatusco, Calle 9 Sur S/N Entre Avenidas 7 Y 9 Col. Centro, CP 4100, Huatusco, Veracruz, México

    López-Escobar Luis Antonio

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  1. Nava-Valente Noemi
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  2. Del Ángel-Coronel Oscar Andrés
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection, and analysis were performed by Noemi Nava-Valente, Oscar Andrés Del Ángel Coronel, Jesús Atenodoro-Alonso, and Luis Antonio López Escobar. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Noemi Nava-Valente, and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to López-Escobar Luis Antonio.

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Nava-Valente, N., Del Ángel-Coronel, O.A., Atenodoro-Alonso, J. et al. Effect of thermal and acid pre-treatment on increasing organic loading rate of anaerobic digestion of coffee pulp for biogas production. Biomass Conv. Bioref. 13, 4817–4830 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13399-021-01529-3

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