PinkMonkey Online Study Guide-Biology
9.2 Raw Materials and Substrates
Biogas can be produced from the biomass of plant origin
(either terrestrial biomass or aquatic biomass) or animal origin (cattle
dung, domestic sewage, organic manure, poultry, slaughter house and fishery
wastes, etc. ).
An enormous quantity of sugarcane wastes is produced in the
sugar mills. Sugarcane bagasse and molasses are the two important
wastes. Bagasse is the cellulosic material of sugarcane produced
after the extraction of the sugar juice. It is used for the production
of biogas, alcohols, single cell protein (SCP), etc.
Sugarcane molasses contains about 50-55% fermentable sugars and hence is an important source for the production of liquid fuel, alcoholic beverages and animal feed.
Similarly, straw, agricultural wastes, forest litter,
aquatic weeds like water hyacinth, Pistia, Salvinia, etc., and
cyanobacteria are also the common raw materials used for the production
of biogas.
|