| Abstract: | The thermodynamics of the various anaerobic digestion patterns of hexose to methane are compared. It appears that by directing the hexose-hydrolysis phase towards ethanol and lactic acid production, methanogenesis can be enhanced because the syntrophic bacteria are allocated more potentially available energy. This hypothesis was confirmed in a series of laboratory test runs. They revealed that lactic acid and ethanol as intermediates, in comparison to lower volatile fatty acids, give rise to a considerably higher effluent quality and a slightly larger biogas production. |
