Continuous VFA Production from Lignocellulosic Biomass via an Artificial Rumen Reactor and Membrane Filtration

Lignocellulose represents an abundant repository of renewable carbon. Derived from various plant sources, it holds tremendous potential as a renewable and sustainable feedstock for the production of valuable chemicals and fuels. However, its solid fermentable compounds, cellulose and hemicellulose, are embedded within complex lignin structures and are therefore poorly accessible to microbial conversion. This paper describes an artificial rumen reactor (ARR) that uses anaerobic microbes from the cattle rumen to increase the release of fermentable carbon from recalcitrant biomass. We outline the development of an ARR for the efficient conversion of lignocellulosic grass into volatile fatty acids (VFAs), which are valuable precursors for the production of a range of bioproducts, including biofuels, biomaterials, and biochemicals. The ARR, a 4-L bioreactor equipped with a ceramic filtration unit, has been optimised and was operated for extended periods of continuous VFA production. Across distinct short- and long-term observation periods, and independent of the cow from which the rumen microbes originated, the bioreactor demonstrated the ability to sustain VFA production, indicating robustness and stability. At an input of 60–80 g dry grass d−1, the system produced approximately 6 mol VFA per kg of dry matter input (DMI). The decoupling of the Solid Retention Time (SRT; 10 days) and the Liquid Retention Time (LRT; 0.5 days) prevented inhibition of the VFA production. The VFA profile was dominated by acetic and propionic acids, comprising 68% and 19%, respectively, with butyric acid and minor VFAs accounting for the remainder. The application of low oxygen levels (<10%) in the reactor via limited aeration did not affect the VFA yield or its profile.