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Biogas from coffee pulp

Article  in  Biotechnology Letters · December 1981

DOI: 10.1007/BF00134849

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Biotechnology Letters Vo1.3 No.12 713-716 (1981)

BIOGAS FROM COFFEEPULP

J.F. Calzada*,O.R. de Leon,M.C. deArriola, F. deMicheo,

C. Rolz, R. de Leon,J.F. Menchu

Applied Research Division

Central American Research Institute for Industry (lCAIT!)
P.O. Box 1552, Guatemala, Guatemala

Summary

Coffee pulp, traditionally considered a highly polluting waste, is evaluated

for its potentia I as biogas substrate via anaerobic digestion. The fibrous nature of the
material required long retention times.

Introduction

Coffee processing in Central America, the Caribbean, Mexico, Colombia and

Venezuela is clone by the wet process or wet "beneficio". During the preparatory
steps, the coffee berry is mechanically squeezed to separate the bean from the skin
(or peel) and the mesocarp. These last two elements are generically known as pulp.
It is generally discharged as a highly polluting waste (Espinosa, et aI., 1976; Rolz
et aI., 1980).

Anaerobic digestion of this solid byproduct is one of the possible waste treat-
ment methods available (Calle, 1955; Rolz et al., 1981). However, lack of informa-
tion on gas yields and fermentation characteristics has delayed the development of
this technology. A current research project at the Central American Research Insti-
tute for Industry (lCAITI) included the direct use of the coffee pulp for the production
of gaseous fue I and organic soil conditioner, vi a anaerobic digestion.

Materia Is and methods

Assays have been carried on using fresh and aerobically pre-composted coffee
pulp. Fresh cow manure was the reference substrate. Temperature Vias controlled at
35° C, whi Ie several dai Iy feeds and discharge rates were evaluated. Composition of
the feed was adjusted to approximately 6% volatile solids. Carbon/nitrogen ratios
were 71.8 in the case of fresh coffee pu Ip and 9.2 for the pre-composted material;
pH was measured but it did not required adjustment. Since the retention time plays
an important role in the expected biogas volumes from the digestion and it is also

713
 dependent on the nature of the substrate, a broad range of values was covered (10 to
60 days). Before reaching final operating conditions with pure substrates, digestors
were adapted to the new unconventional raw material.

Results and discussion

Table 1 shows some of the preliminary, adaptive steps that were carried on with
manure be ing substituted by fresh coffee pu Ip. These va lues represent steady-state
situations for each of the mixtures. A similar situation is presented in Table 2 for the
substitution of aerobically pre-composted pulp for the manure. Some low pH values
can be observed in Table 1. Since they represent an average of several weeks of
operation, acidification problems may influence these values, indicating certain de-
gree of instabi lity.

Table 3 contains the pre liminary resu Its for biogas production from pure substrates.
Cow manure waS added as a reference material. Due to lack of pH control, oscillations
in operating conditions occurred and were included in the average values presented.
This may account for the lower pH values and volumetric productions of the cow manure
when compared with completely controlled digestions. The high retention times required
were probably due to the slow biodegradability of the fibrous components of the pulp.
Fresh coffee pulp was a much more biodegradable substrate than the pre-composted mate-
rial. Undoubtedly this was due to the decrease in easily fermented carbon substrates
during aerobic thermophilic composting, giving place to the more stable lignocelluloses.

Acknow ledgements

This work was supported in part by a grant from the Agriculture, Food and Nutri-
tion Science Division of the International Development Research Centre (lDRC), Cana-
da.

References

Calle, H. (1955) Boletin CENICAFE 6: 66

Espinosa,R.; de Cabrera,S.; Maldonado, 0.; Rolz, C.; Menchu, j.F.; Aguirre,

F. (1976) Chem. Tech. !! (10) 636
Rolz, C.; Menchu, J.F.; de Arriola, M.C.; de Micheo, F. (1980) Agr. Wastes
2: 207

Rolz, C.; Menchu, J.F.; Calzada, F.; de Leon, R.; Garcia, R. (1981) Process
Biochem. (in press)

714

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 TABLE 1

BIOGAS PRODUCTION FROM MIXED SUBSTRATES

(MANUREAND FRESHPULP)AT 35°C

Retention time Pulp %CH4 pH

(days) -% Volumetric
(m3/m :froduction
day) - -
60 25- 0.9 60 6.5
.
60 50 1.2 58 7.0
60 75 .0.5 67 7.5
40 25 0.9 65 6.3
40 50 1.1 60 7.0
40 75 0.4 65 7.4

TABLE 2

BIOGAS PRODUCTION FROM MIXEDSUBSTRATES

(MANUREAND PRE-COMPOSTEDPULP)AT 35°C

Retention time .Pulp Volumetric production %CH4 pH

(days) - % (m3/m3 day)

60 25 0.35 75 7.4

60 .50 0.24 78 . 7.4

60 75 0.24 75 7.5
40 25 0.50 80 7.2

40 50 0.50 85 7.4

40 75 0.50 70 7.4

715

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 TABLE 3
.

BIOGAS PRODUCTION FROM COW MANURE, FRESH AND COMPOSTED COFFEE PULP

Temperature Retention time Volumetric production %CH4 pH

Substrate
(OC) (days) (m3/m3 day)

35 20 0.45 70 6.6
:::! Manure 35 10
Q) , 0.65 65 6.5

35 60 1.30 60 7.5
Fresh puIp 35 40 1.00 48 7.0

35 60 0.20 72 7.5
Pre-compostedpulp 35 40 0.02 80 7.5

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