Resumen

ESTRADA-MAYA, Andrea  y  WEBER, Bernd. Biogas and bioethanol from agave bagasse subjected to steam explosion and enzymatic hydrolysis. Ing. invest. y tecnol. [online]. 2022, vol.23, n.2, e1887.  Epub 04-Nov-2022. ISSN 2594-0732.  https://doi.org/10.22201/fi.25940732e.2022.23.2.009.

Tequila industry waste streams (namely agave bagasse), lack valorization processes, for example, biogas conversion in current production schemes. Steam explosion treatment is widely recommended to enhance biodegradability of lignocellulosic material. This investigation evaluates the production of biogas and bioethanol using agave bagasse subjected to steam explosion followed by enzymatic hydrolysis. Steam explosion applied under a vapor pressure of 0.98 MPa raised the vessel temperature to 179 °C and after 22 minutes a sudden pressure release was induced. Subsequent enzymatic hydrolysis was employed to the residual solid fraction for 12 hours. Anaerobic batch tests resulted in 553 ± 26 mLN per gram of chemical oxygen demand (COD), when steam exploded hydrolysate was digested, and 578 ± 4 mLN g-1 COD for the digestion of enzymatic hydrolysate. The methane content for both experiments was 53 ± 2 %. Energy balance conversions resulted in an energy recovery of up to 20.9 % relating to the energy contend of original agave bagasse. The biogas pathway is 13 % more effective than ethanol fermentation of enzymatic hydrolysate due to a wider spectrum of substrates than C6-sugars fermentation alone. Thus, in view of enhancing the chain of economic value added for treatment of agave bagasse, pathways outlined are likely to play a key role in future sustainable residue management.

Palabras llave : Lignocellulosic biomass; hydrolyzates; anaerobic digestion; fermentation; pretreatment.