Weak-base pretreatment of wheat straw was investigated for its ability to improve biomethane production. Anaerobic digestion (AD) was performed on wheat straw pretreated with 3%, 5%, or 7% Na2CO3 as a weak base. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) spectra demonstrated disruption of lignocellulosic structures by pretreatment. In the 5% Na2CO3 treatment group, cellulose and hemicellulose were retained effectively, with efficient removal of lignin. The removal rates of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin were 27.9%, 20.4%, and 31.0%, respectively, after 5% Na2CO3 pretreatment. The methane content (53.3-77.3%) was improved in the 5% Na2CO3 treatment group, with maximum methane production (307.9 L/kg VS) that was 41.6% higher than that of the untreated sample. Cellulose and hemicelluloses were degraded 59.3% and 56.3% after AD. It took 20 days to reach 80% of the maximum cumulative methane production for the 5% Na2CO3 pretreatment group, which was 4 days faster than the untreated group. These results indicate that 5% Na2CO3 pretreatment improve the lignocellulose structure of wheat straw, allowing better biodegradability of wheat straw in AD for increased biogas production, enhanced methane content, and decreased digestion time.
Keywords: Anaerobic digestion; Biogas; Lignocellulosic biomass; Pretreatment technology; Sodium carbonate; Structural analysis.