Evaluation of continuous biohydrogen production from enzymatically treated cornstalk hydrolysate

Enzymatically treated cornstalk hydrolysate was tested as substrate for H₂ production by Thermoanaerobacterium thermosaccharolyticum W16 in a continuous stirred tank reactor. The performance of strain W16 to ferment the main components of hydrolysate, mixture of glucose and xylose, in continuous culture was conducted at first, and then T. thermosaccharolyticum W16 was evaluated to ferment fully enzymatically hydrolysed cornstalk to produce H ₂ in continuous operation mode. At the dilution rate of 0.020 h ^-1, the H₂ yield and production rate reached a maximum of 1.9 mol H₂ mol^-1 sugars and 8.4 mmol H₂ L ^-1 h^-1, respectively, accompanied with the maximum glucose and xylose utilizations of 86.3% and 77.6%. Continuous H₂ production from enzymatically treated cornstalk hydrolysate in this research provides a new direction for economic, efficient, and harmless H₂ production.