Use of alkali-activated aluminosilicatematerialto enhancebiogas production from acidic whey

The effect of the addition of novel alkali-activated material (AAM) granules to provide additional buffering capacity, pH stability and increased methane yields in batch scale anaerobic digestion was investigated.The experiments were carried out with 20%, 30% and 40% of acidic whey in 500 ml batch reactors by a single addition of AAM granules (diameter from 2 to 8 mm) at 37 ± 0.5°C during 30 days. Presence of the AAM in the batch reactors allowedto maintain optimal pH, thus increasingthe yield and rate of methane formation from acid whey.