Advanced studies of biological indirect liquefaction of coal: Quarterly report, January 20--April 19, 1988

Technical Report · Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1988

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5804727· OSTI ID:5804727

During FY 87 a bacterial culture was isolated from animal waste that is capable of converting CO in synthesis gas to ethanol and acetate. An ethanol concentration of 4.3 g/L was obtained in batch culture, and the most favorable ethanol to acetate ratio obtained was 1.1 g ethanol per g acetate (1.4 gmole ethanol per gmole acetate). The culture has been shown to require a very low level of yeast extract for growth, and agitation was shown to enhance conversion by increasing the rate of CO transfer from the gas phase to the liquid phase. The culture, tentatively identified as Clostridium, produces a higher yield of ethanol and ratio of ethanol to acetate when 2-bromoethane-sulfonic and excess yeast extract are removed from the media. The feasibility of continuous culture operation was demonstrated with the culture by operation in a stirred-tank reactor with continuous liquid and gaseous feeds. Detailed culture identification experiments will be performed to determine if the culture is indeed a new Clostridium species or an existing species capable of utilizing CO as a carbon source. Studies will also be initiated in an attempt to eliminate acetate as a product from CO metabolism, while increasing the concentration of ethanol in the product stream. 15 refs., 21 figs., 1 tab.

• Research Organization: Arkansas Univ., Fayetteville, AR (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC22-88PC79813
• OSTI ID: 5804727
• Report Number(s): DOE/PC/79813-T2; ON: DE89016624
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Portions of this document are illegible in microfiche products
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
COAL
BIOCONVERSION
ACETATES
CARBON MONOXIDE
CLOSTRIDIUM
COAL LIQUEFACTION
CULTURE MEDIA
PROGRESS REPORT
STOICHIOMETRY
BACTERIA
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON OXIDES
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CARBOXYLIC ACID SALTS
CHALCOGENIDES
DOCUMENT TYPES
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
LIQUEFACTION
MATERIALS
MICROORGANISMS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
010405* - Coal
Lignite
& Peat- Hydrogenation & Liquefaction
550700 - Microbiology