Using Mean Oxidation Number of Organic Carbons to Quantify Buswell’s Equation

Abstract

Buswell’s equation can represent anaerobic digestion. The overall stoichiometric chemical equation is important for the counting of biomethane and theoretical biochemical methane potential. Although the concept of oxidation number of organic carbons has been applied in organic chemistry and biochemistry, the relationship between mean oxidation number of organic carbons and quantity of biomethane has not been studied. This article uses the H-atom method as a balancing tool to build a Buswell’s model which can help understand the redox nature of organic compounds and establish the mathematical relationships among the stoichiometric coefficients of Buswell’s equation, elemental composition of organic compound, and mean oxidation number of organic carbons. By using mean oxidation number of organic carbons as a metric, the mathematical equations for the counting of biomethane and theoretical biochemical methane potential are attained. The parameters of Buswell’s equation can also be quantified by any given structural formula of an organic compound.