Determining optimum conditions for hydrogen production from glucose by an anaerobic culture using response surface methodology (RSM)

Hydrogen fermentation is a very complex process and is greatly influenced by many factors. Previous studies have demonstrated that temperature, pH and substrate are important factors controlling biological H-2 Production. Response surface methodology with central composite design was used in this study to optimize H-2 production from glucose by an anaerobic culture. The individual and interactive effects of pH, temperature and glucose concentration on H-2 production were also evaluated. The optimum conditions for maximum H-2 yield of 1.75 mol-H-2 mol-glucose(-1) were found as temperature 38.8 degrees C, pH 5.7 and glucose concentration 9.7 g L-1. The linear effects of temperature and pH as well as their quadratic effects on H-2 yield were significant, while the interactive effects of three parameters were minor. (C) 2009 Professor T. Nejat Veziroglu. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.