Improvement of Methane Production from Sugar Beet Wastes Using TiO₂ and Fe₃O₄ Nanoparticles and Chitosan Micropowder Additives

An experimental study was performed to measure biogas production from sugar beet waste, which is, in fact, the chopped parts of the sugar beet not going through the sugar extraction process, at different additive concentrations. Medium molecular weight chitosan in microsize and TiO₂ and Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles were added to ten experimental reactors to investigate their effect on the anaerobic digestion process. Three different concentrations of 0.01, 0.04, and 0.12% w/w were used for each additive. Biogas production and methane content were compared with a control sample containing no additive. Adding chitosan in powder form did not help the process nor improved methanogenic activities. The results showed no effect on anaerobic digestion by the addition of TiO₂ nanoparticles in the mentioned concentrations, whereas adding Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles led to a slight increase in methane production and in volatile solid and total solid reduction. The maximum enhancement in methane and biogas production in the sample containing 0.04% Fe₃O₄, as compared with the control sample, reached 19.77% and 15.09%, respectively.