Exploring Critical Factors for Fermentative Hydrogen Production from Various Types of Lignocellulosic Biomass

Abstract

Four dilute-acid pretreated and hydrolysed lignocellulosic raw materials were evaluated as substrates for fermentative hydrogen production by Caldicellulosiruptor saccharolyticus. Their fermentability was ranked in the order: barley straw > wheat straw > corn stalk > corn cob. The content of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) in medium with hydrolysates prepared from corn cob (1.0 g/L) and corn stalk (0.8 g/L), respectively reached levels likely to be toxic for growth of C. saccharolyticus. HMF was absent in wheat and barley straw hydrolysates. Furfural concentrations in media with wheat straw, barley straw and corn stalk hydrolysates were low (0.2-0.3 g/L), while it was higher in corn cob hydrolysates (0.6 g/L).