STUDIES OF CHEMICAL-THERMAL PRE-TREATMENT IN BIOMASS TO USE FOR BIOGAS PRODUCTION IN CUBA

In this work it is carried out a study of the influence of the application from a chemical-thermal pre-treatment to different substrates utilized for the biogas production. The substrates studied were biomass of agricultural origin (sorghum-R-132, sunflower JE-94, corn, Colocasia esculenta) and a tavern residual (white bread). The pre-treatment consisted on the addition of NaOH, 4N (in dose of 0.024 g de NaOH, 4N. 30-1 mL of biomass), followed by a heating at 180oC during 30 minutes. Next the substrates underwent a biodigestion process and the results were compared with the obtained ones in absence of the pre-treatment. Increments were achieved in the maximum specific biogas yield in the substrates of the sorghum R-132 (697,83 lN/kgSV), Colocasia esculenta (166,67 lN/kgSV) and bread (449,14 lN/kgSV), while with sunflowers JE-94 (27,58 lN/kgSV) and corn (17,24 lN/kgSV) it happens the opposite. The best result took place with the sorghum R-132, being obtained more than 100% increment in the maximum specific biogas yield. In the other hand, it was noted that the pH evolves in a similar way in the subjected and not subjected biomasses to the pre valued chemical-thermal treatment.