The metabolic process of methane production by combined fermentation of coal and corn straw

Abstract

The anaerobic degradation of coal combined with straw biomass can promote the methane production. The biogas production potential and metabolic pathway were explored via the co-digestion simulation experiment of coal and corn straw. The results showed that 2 g of corn straw combined respectively with 4 g of bituminous coal A, 6 g of bituminous coal B and 4 g of bituminous coal C resulted in highest methane yields. The structure of lignocellulose in corn straw was partially degraded into guaiacyl and syringyl units. Meanwhile, the content of biodegradable tyrosine like protein and soluble microbial by-products in liquid phase significantly decreased. Significantly, the structure of archaea altered from aceticlastic to hydrogenotrophic methanogens when the fermentation substrate changed from high to low rank coal. The proportion of hydrogenotrophic methanogens was significantly higher than that of aceticlastic and methylotrophic methanogens, and the hydrogenotrophic pathway was dominant than the aceticlastic pathway.

Keywords: Biomethane; Coal; Combined fermentation; Corn straw; Metabolic pathway.