Kinetics and characteristics of 70 °C, VFA-grown, UASB granular sludge

We studied in batch reactors the kinetics and characterization of 70 °C, volatile fatty acids (VFAs)-grown, upflow anaerobic sludge blanket granular sludge with 55 and 35 °C sludge as reference. The half-saturation constant (Ks), the inhibition constant (Ki), the maximum specific methane production rate (μCH4max), and the inhibition response coefficient (n) of the 70 °C sludge were 6.15 mM, 48.2 mM, 0.132 h−1, and 2.48, respectively, while no inhibition occurred at 55 and 35 °C, where the Ks was 3.67 and 3.82 mM, respectively. At 70 °C, the highest initial specific methanogenic activity (ISMA, 0.311 gCH4-COD per gram volatile solids per day) on VFAs was about 12–15% lower than that on aceta…