Abstract

Biohydrogen fuel from cow dung-enriched cellulose rich microcrystalline betel nut shells

Author(s): Nooralabettu Krishna Prasad, Kotian Pooja, Jaivika, Lorene Wilinda Pinto, Madeeha Majeed

Sustainable renewable biohydrogen fuel is produced bymicrobial conversion of acid hydrolysed cellulose rich microcrystalline betel nut (Areca catechu) shells enriched with cow dung. Gram positive, rod shaped, motile, obligatory anaerobic, spore forming, catalase test negative, indole test positive, methyl red test positive, Voges-Proskauer test negative, citrate test negative, cellulase producing, sulphate reducing organismthat utilises glucose, fructose, lactose, and sucrose with acid and gas were isolated from aging cow dung collected from South Kanara district, and the strain identified as Clostridium acetobutylicum was used for subsequent study. Cellulose richmicrocrystalline betel nut shellswere hydrolysed by 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 4.0 and 5.0%of either sulphuric acid or hydrochloric acid. Hydrochloric acid at 5%for 2 hours was efficient in hydrolyzing cellulose compared to other as it produced highest percentage of glucose of 0.23g/ ml. Acid hydrolysed microcrystalline betel nut shell and pulverized dry aging cow dung at the ratio of 1:1, 1:2 and 2:1 were sterilized by Tyndallisation method, and inoculated with 100mL of culture broth of Clostridiumacetobutylicumper 1000mL of themixture. Hydrochloric acid hydrolysed microcrystalline betel nut shell at 5%and pulverized dry aging cow dung at the ratio of 1:2 inoculated with culture of Clostridium acetobutylicum produced hydrogen gas of 260 mL/g, hence has a potential to produce biohydrogen.