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reports - Deliverable

Experimental Tests for the Development of Electromethanogenesis Bioreactor Prototypes

reports - Deliverable

Experimental Tests for the Development of Electromethanogenesis Bioreactor Prototypes

The experimental results of the research on electromethanogenesis systems (or power-to-gas bioelectrochemical BEP2G) are presented, achieved through experimental setups operating in mesophilic and hyperthermic conditions. The best daily methane production from CO2 obtained is 1.2 mol/m², normalized to the cathode area, with a conversion efficiency exceeding 80%. This production value surpasses the maximum reported in the literature and was achieved with the system operating in mesophilic conditions, using the innovative materials developed over the three-year period.

This report presents the results of experimental tests aimed at studying and optimizing electromethanogenesis processes. This innovative biotechnology uses microbial electrochemical systems to produce methane from CO2, in a power-to-gas (BEP2G) framework. During the experiments, double-chamber experimental setups were created to conduct electromethanogenesis tests under mesophilic (45°C) and hyperthermophilic (80°C) conditions. Selected hydrogenotrophic microorganism strains from the Metanobacteriaceae family (domain Archaea) were used in the experiments. The methane concentration produced with the developed setups, at 1.2 mol/m² per day (normalized to the geometric area of the cathode), shows a faradic efficiency above 80% and surpasses the best values reported in the literature. This result was achieved using high-surface-area cathodes, consisting of porous carbon multi-composites (conductive biochar) doped with copper (Cu) nanoparticles and hydroxyapatite (HAP), as innovative chemical catalysts for CO2 reduction (CO2RR). The new materials tested provided a synergistic action with the microorganisms, promoting CO2 reduction and stabilizing the electrode pH. Experiments conducted at 80°C with the hyperthermophilic hydrogen-producing bacteria Thermotoga neapolitana and methanogenic archaea Methanococcus jannashii, although not showing equally significant methane yields, demonstrated strong interaction with the electrode materials. Therefore, the use of these bacteria and the tested sustainable materials confirms an efficient and innovative path for scaling up bioelectrochemical electromethanogenesis technology to competitive costs for future industrial and environmental applications..

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