ENHANCEMENT OF BIOGAS PRODUCTION USING OCIMUM SANCTUM EXTRACT MEDIATED GREEN SYNTHESIZED SUPERPARAMAGNETIC IRON OXIDE NANO-PARTICLES

Abstract

Managing landfill waste, sewage sludge, and such other bio-degradable wastes are likely to be challenging task at present. Such biodegradable waste can be processed scientifically to obtain useful products. By utilizing these wastes in an anaerobic digester, biogas rich with methane gas is generated & the residue slurry is used as organic fertilizer. Bio digestion involves slow chemical reactions including high retention period for substrate. A novel concept of dosing engineered super paramagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles prepared with the aids of Ocimum sanctum leaf extract is used to improve biogas production in anaerobic digestion processes. Additional iron content in the digestion process increases the production rate as it helps in reducing CO₂ to form CH₄. Generally nanoparticles catalyze better than its bulk analogs and reduce the problem of high retention period. Iron oxide nanoparticles are unstable, they can be designed to provide ions in controlled manner, and the highest ever reported improvement of biogas production is obtained.