• Journal of Hydrogen and New Energy
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.337-343
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• 2014

This study was conducted to evaluate the characteristics of dark fermentative $H_2$ production from microalgae (Chlorella vulgaris) using batch reactors under mesophilic (25, $35^{\circ}C$) and thermophilic (45, $55^{\circ}C$) conditions. The $H_2$ yield and $H_2$ production rate increased with increasing temperature. The maximum $H_2$ yield and $H_2$ production rate were 56.77 mL $H_2/g$ dcw, 3.33 mL $H_2/g\;dcw{\cdot}h$ at $55^{\circ}C$, respectively. The activation energy calculated using Arrhenius equation was 36.24 kcal/mol, which was higher than that of dark $H_2$ fermentation of glucose by anaerobic mixed culture. Although the concentration of butyrate was maintained, the concentrations of lactate and acetate increased with increasing temperature. The $H_2$ yield was linearly proportional to acetate/ butyrate ratio.