Produção de metano a partir de codigestão anaeróbia de vinhoto e glicerol residuais

Abstract

Taking into account the economic importance that the sugar-alcohol industry and biodiesel represent for Brazil, as well as the country's leading position in this world economic scenario, adequate management of the effluent generated by the industries becomes fundamental. In order to minimize the associated environmental impacts, given that one liter of ethanol produced generates up to fifteen liters of vinasse and that each ton of biodiesel generates one hundred kilos of glycerol, available technologies can be used, as in the case of anaerobic processes. This study evaluated twelve experiments in anaerobic process in laboratory scale using effluent of vinasse and glycerol post treatment by acidogenesis process, coming from the sugar-alcohol industry and biodiesel. Methane production parameters were determined, among other aspects. The three reactors of the four experiments that presented the most significant results in terms of methane production in the monitored time period, using only residual vinasse, were V4.3, V2.3 and V3.3, in volumes of 6,241 mL, 6,087 mL and 4,845 mL, respectively. In the experiments using also glycerol, the results presented maximum methane yields of 8,687 mL, 7,990 mL and 6,640 mL, for vinasse and glycerol ratios of 80/20, 60/40 and 20/80, respectively.