IORKASE TYOGA
Department of Chemistry,
College of Education,
Katsina-Ala,
Benue State.
e-mail: [email protected]
ABSTRACT
A biogas chamber of 168kg slurry capacity was constructed for biogas production. The waste samples (tomatoes and mango) collected which contain adequate quantities of nutrients essential for the growth and metabolism of anaerobic bacteria in biogas production were carefully pounded to reduce their particulate sizes. The pounded waste then mixed with required substrates (i.e dung, cassava leaves) to obtain the slurry at the ratio of 1:1 by mass and the slurry was then fed into the digester. Biogas was then purified using Lime water (to remove CO2) and Lead acetate solution (to remove H2S). The pH meter was used to monitor the alkalinity level of the digester content. The volume of gas produced was measured by collecting the gas under water in a measuring cylinder, the volume of water displaced after collection was considered to be equivalent to the volume of gas produced. The amount of biogas produced from each substrate was then determined. The volumes of biogas produced and their calorific values were found to depend on the nature of substrate.
Keywords: Biogas, substrate, slurry, waste and biodigester