THE PRODUCTION OF BIOFUEL AND THE GENERATION OF ELECTRICITY BY CLOSTRIDIUM ACETOBUTYLICUM IN MICROBIAL FUEL CELLS

ABSTRACT

Abstract. The possibility of obtaining biofuel and producing electricity in microbial fuel cells is shown when using the industrial cellulose-destroying Clostridium acetobutylicum strain VKPM-4786 as a bioagent. Substrates for microorganisms in MFC were cellulose, glucose, birch sawdust, starch, sludge-lignin, substandard potatoes, peptone. Calculation of the power of the MFCs under investigation (for 2 days of work) showed that the most effective among them was MFC based on a liquid nutrient medium with the addition of peptone and glucose (677 ± 14.5 μW), potato medium (559.5 ± 9.6 μW). When the clostridium was incubated in MFC on birch sawdust, the power reached 398.3 ± 34.0 μW for 2 days of the experiment, and 145.0 ± 19.4 μW for cellulose. The use of peptone as a substrate for Clostridium acetobutylicum VKPM-4786 in MFC made it possible to obtain power up to 132.4 ± 6.9 μW, starch – 67.3 ± 6.9 μW, glucose – 21.2 ± 1.6 μW. The process of generating electricity was accompanied by the formation of acetone, ethanol and butanol in the anolyte of MFC. The greatest yield of butanol (up to 11 g/l) was obtained in MFC containing potato medium. A smaller amount was recorded on model sewage with the addition of starch – up to 5.5 g/l. The results obtained make it possible to recommend the use of potato production waste and other starch-containing waste to produce biofuel (butanol) in MFC with simultaneous generation of electric current.

Keywords: biofuel, Clostridium acetobutylicum VKPM-4786, microbial fuel cells, electricity