Enhanced Volatile Fatty Acid Production from Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunch through Acidogenic Fermentation—A Novel Resource Recovery Strategy for Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunch

The glucan-rich fraction, hemicellulosic compounds-rich and a mixture of both fractions obtained from organosolv pretreatment oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) were used as substrates to produce volatile fatty acids (VFAs) in acidogenic fermentation. In this study, the effects medium adjustment (carbon nitrogen ratio trace elements supplementation) methanogenesis inhibition (through addition 2-bromoethanesulfonate or by heat shock) enhance VFAs yield investigated. highest VFA was 0.50 ± 0.00 g VFAs/g solid (VS), which when methanogens inhibited shock cultivated fractions. Under these conditions, fermentation produced acetic acid only VFA. Based on results, mass balance whole process (from fermentation) showed possibility obtain 30.4 kg 20.3 lignin with 70% purity 100 OPEFB.