Massimiliano Fabbricino

This study evaluated the feasibility of contextually producing hydrogen, microbial proteins, and polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) using a mixed culture of purple phototrophic bacteria biomass under photo fermentative conditions. To this end, three consecutive batch tests were conducted to analyze the biomass growth curve and to explore the potential for optimizing the production process. Experimental findings indicated that inoculating reactors with microorganisms from the exponential growth phase reduced the duration of the process. Furthermore, the most effective approach for simultaneous hydrogen production and the valorization of microbial biomass was found when conducting the process during the exponential growth phase of the biomass. At this stage, achieved after 3 days of fermentation, the productivities of hydrogen, PHB, and microbial proteins were measured at 63.63 L/m3 d, 0.049 kg/m3 d, and 0.045 kg/m3 d, respectively. The biomass composition comprised a total intracellular compound percentage of 56%, with 27% representing PHB and 29% representing proteins. Under these conditions, the estimated daily revenue was maximized, amounting to 0.6 $/m3 d.