RESUMO: A co-digestão dos dejetos suínos associados a resíduos vegetais é uma alternativa que pode elevar as produções de biogás e metano alcançadas pela digestão isolada do dejeto. No entanto, recomendações que se baseiem na melhor proporção entre dejeto e forragem, assim como na idade de colheita ainda são escassas na literatura. O objetivo do trabalho foi avaliar inclusões crescentes (0, 25, 50, 75 e 100% dos sólidos totais (ST) de capim elefante (Pennisetum purpureum Schum.) colhido em duas idades de corte mediana (MA) aos 45 dias de crescimento e avançada (AA) aos 90 dias, empregado em co-digestão com o dejeto suíno, adotando-se delineamento inteiramente ao acaso, em esquema fatorial 5x2. Foram utilizados biodigestores batelada de bancada, sendo as produções de biogás acompanhadas durante 12 semanas. Houve influência da idade da forragem (P<0,05) na degradação de sólidos e fibra em detergente neutro, com maiores valores para os substratos que continham a forragem MA. Os maiores rendimentos de CH4 foram alcançados pelos substratos que continham forragem MA na inclusão de 27,7 e 31,6 %, sendo de 253,7 e 222,2 L de CH4 por Kg de ST ou sólido volátil adicionado. A idade das forragens influenciou o início e a persistência das produções de biogás ao longo do período de digestão, sendo vantajosa apenas na inclusão de 25% de forragem com MA.

ABSTRACT: The co-digestion of swine manure with vegetable waste is an alternative that can increase the production of biogas and methane generated by the isolated digestion of manure. However, recommendations that are based on the best ratio between manure and forage, as well as the age of harvest, are still scarce in the literature. This study was conducted to evaluate inclusions (0, 25, 50, 75 and 100%) of the total solids (TS) of Elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schum) harvested at two ages medium age (MA) at 45 days of growth and advanced age (AA) at 90 days in co-digestion with swine manure, using an entirely randomized design in a 5x2 factorial scheme. Batch digesters were used and biogas production was monitored for 12 weeks. There was influence of forage age (P <0.05) on the degradation of solids and neutral detergent fiber, with higher values for the substrates containing MA forage. The highest CH4 yields were obtained by the substrates containing MA forage in the inclusion of 27.7 and 31.6%, being 253.7 and 222.2 L of CH4 per Kg of total or volatile solids. The age of the forages influenced the onset and persistence of biogas production, being advantageous only in the inclusion of 25% of MA forage. The AA forage inclusion is not recommended for co-digestion with swine manure.

A new silicon-aluminum-zirconium ternary oxide (SiO2/Al2O3/ZrO2) was prepared by the sol-gel method followed by one-step washing with absolute ethanol or two-step washing with absolute ethanol followed by ultra-pure water. Both ternary oxides presented high surface area (over 340 m2 g-1). The binding energy values for Zr3d and Al2p levels showed the insertion of Zr and Al atoms in silica matrix, confirming the dispersion surface of these elements as shown by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (EDXRF) data. A weight loss around 40 wt.% was found for both samples submitted to thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Crystallographic data showed the presence of monoclinic and tetragonal ZrO2 phases in different proportions according to the calcination temperature. Regarding the acid-base properties, temperature-programmed desorption of CO2 (CO2-TPD) profiles suggested that washing with water reduced the overall basicity of the samples and removed the strongest basic sites. However, according to temperature-programmed desorption of NH3 (NH3-TPD) profiles, washing significantly increased the amount of weak acid sites, in agreement with pyridine adsorption data. Brønsted acid sites (BAS) are ever dominant but washing with ethanol followed by water reduced the number of Lewis acid sites (LAS).