Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

LIQUEFACTION STUDIES ON JACKFRUIT PEEL WASTE: INFLUENCE OF SODIUM HYDROXIDE FOR HYDROGEN PRODUCTION IN DARK FERMENTATION

S. Sethuraman and G. Vennila

Abstract

This work represents the liquefaction studies on jackfruit peel waste to investigate influence of sodium hydroxide addition for hydrogen production in dark fermentation. A new resource of microflora was isolated from sludge by subjecting it to pH adjustment at 5 ± 0.3 coupled with heat treatment at 105°C for 1 h. The isolated microflora exhibited their character to produce hydrogen while treating solid waste consisting of jackfruit peel waste. Liquefaction is the process conversion of solid into a liquid by the process of alkaline hydrolysis. In this paper, the studies on liquefaction was performed for a range of alkali concentrations from 0.1N - 0.5 N, wherein the percentage of liquefaction of 50% and 67% were obtained for 0.1N and 0.2 N respectively. Likewise for 0.3 N, 0.4 N and 0.5N (Normality) of NaOH concentration the percentage of liquefaction obtained were 80%, 63% and 32% in terms of total solid reduction (TS). Similarly the maximum COD solubilization reached 73% on 0.3 N. These results indicate that the highest percentage of liquefaction 80% of total solids reduction and SCOD was obtained at 0.3 N of NaOH with the temperature of 100°C. From the studies on liquefaction, jackfruit peel waste (JFPW) pre-treated with 0.3 N NaOH as substrate, showed maximum hydrogen H2 yield of 0.44L H2/g VS (jackfruit peel) degraded. Whereas jack fruit peel waste pretreated with 0.4 N NaOH yielded 0.25L H2/g VS (jackfruit peel) degraded. The control yielded only 0.24L H2/g VS (jackfruit peel) degraded at the end of 60 days of digestion.