| Abstract: | Viable cells of H2-producers (Bacillus licheniformis and a mixed microbial culture) were immobilized on brick dust and in calcium alginate beads. In batch culture, cells of the mixed culture in the free state yielded 8.2 l H2/mol glucose utilized, whereasB. licheniformis evolved 13.1 l H2. Immobilized cells, however, gave 4-fold more H2 than the free bacteria. Highest yields were from the cells immobilized on brick dust. High H2-production rates continued over two rounds of re-use of the immobilized cells.A. Kumar, S.R. Jain and A.P. Joshi were and V. C. Kalia is with the Centre for Biochemical Technology (CSIR), University Campus, Mall Road, Delhi-110 007, India; C.B. Sharma is with the Department of Biosciences and Biotechnology, University of Roorkee, Roorkee-247 667, India. A. Kumar is now with the Biochemistry Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi-110 016, India, S.R. Jain is now with the Centre for Biomedical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi-110 016, India, and A.P. Joshi is now with the Chemical Engineering Division, National Chemical Laboratory, Pune-411 008, India. |
