Continuous production of volatile fatty acids by acidogenesis of sugar beet vinasse

Abstract
The present work deals with volatile fatty acids generation during the acidification of beet sugar vinasse. Two fixed‐bed anaerobic reactors have been used for this purpose, at a fixed temperature of 30 °C. The daily output of acids ranged between 63 and 75 Kg.m‐3, and the joint acid production amounted to 50–60 % butyric acid, 29–35 % acetic acid and 8–9 % propionic acid.