No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

The imminent use of hydrogen as an energy vector establishes the need for sustainable production technologies based on renewable resources. Starch is an abundant renewable resource suitable for bio-hydrogen generation. It was hypothesised that starch hydrolysates from a large (250 mL) hydrothermal reactor could support bioH 2 fermentation without inhibition by toxic byproducts.Starch was hydrolysed at high concentrations (40-200 g.L -1 ) in hot compressed water (HCW) with CO 2 at 30 bar in a 250 mL reactor, the largest so far for polysaccharide hydrolysis, at 180-235 °C, 15 min. Hydrolysates were detoxified with activated carbon (AC) and tested in biohydrogen fermentations. The maximum yield of glucose was 548 g.kg starch -1 carbon at 200 °C. 5-hydroxymethyl furfural, the main fermentation inhibitor, was removed by AC to support 70% more hydrogen production than the untreated hydrolysates. The potential utilization of starch hydrolysates from HCW treatment for upscaled fermentations is promising.