Effect of decoupling hydraulic and solid retention times on carbohydrate-rich residue valorization into carboxylic acids

This research assessed the effect of decoupling hydraulic retention time (HRT) and solid retention time (SRT) on the production of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) via anaerobic fermentation of beet molasses. The performance of a continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR, STR = HTR = 30 days) and two anaerobic sequencing batch reactors (AnSBR) with decoupled STR (30 days) and HRT (20 and 10 days) was compared. Previously, a temperature study in batch reactors (25, 35, and 55 °C) revealed 25 °C as the optimal temperature to maximize the VFAs yield and the long-chain VFAs (> C₄) production, being selected for the continuous reactors operation. An HRT of 20 days in AnSBR led to an enhancement in bioconversion efficiency into VFAs (55.5% chemical oxygen demand basis) compared to the CSTR (34.9%). In contrast, the CSTR allowed the production of valuable caproic acid (25.4% vs 4.1% w/w of total VFAs in AnSBR). Decreasing further the HRT to 10 days in AnSBR was detrimental in terms of bioconversion efficiency (21.7%) due to primary intermediates (lactate) accumulation. By decoupling HRT and SRT, VFAs were maximized, revealing HRT as an effective tool to drive specific conversion routes (butyrate- or lactate-fermentation).