Improvement of hydrogen production from Chlorella sp. biomass by acid-thermal pretreatment

Owing to the high growth rate, high protein and carbohydrate contents, and an ability to grow autotrophically, microalgal biomass is regarded as a promising feedstock for fermentative hydrogen production. However, the rigid cell wall of microalgae impedes efficient hydrolysis of the biomass, resulting in low availability of assimilable nutrients and, consequently, low hydrogen production. Therefore, pretreatment of the biomass is necessary in order to achieve higher hydrogen yield (HY). In the present study, acid-thermal pretreatment of Chlorella sp. biomass was investigated. Conditions for the pretreatment, as well as those for hydrogen production from the pretreated biomass, were optimized. Acid pretreatment was also conducted for comparison