Biotechnology for Producing Fuels and Chemicals from Biomass: Volume II - Fermentation Chemicals from Biomass
The technological and economic feasibility of producing some selected chemicals by fermentation is discussed: acetone, butanol, acetic acid, citric acid, 2,3-butanediol, and propionic acid. The demand for acetone and butanol has grown considerably. They have not been produced fermentatively for three decades, but instead by the oxo and aldol processes. Improved cost of fermentative production will hinge on improving yields and using cellulosic feedstocks. The market for acetic acid is likely to grow 5% to 7%/yr. A potential process for production is the fermentation of hydrolyzed cellulosic material to ethanol followed by chemical conversion to acetic acid. For about 50 years fermentation has been the chief process for citric acid production. The feedstock cost is 15% to 20% of the overall cost of production. The anticipated 5%/yr growth in demand for citric acid could be enhanced by using it to displace phosphates in detergent manufacture. A number of useful chemicals can be derived from 2,3-butanediol, which has not been produced commercially on a large scale. R and D are needed to establish a viable commercial process. The commercial fermentative production of propionic acid has not yet been developed. Recovery and purification of the product require considerable improvement. Other chemicals such as lactic acid, isopropanol, maleic anhydride, fumarate, and glycerol merit evaluation for commercial fermentative production in the near future.
- Research Organization:
- National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC36-08GO28308
- OSTI ID:
- 6552060
- Report Number(s):
- SERI/TR-621-754
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
ACETIC ACID
BIOSYNTHESIS
ACETONE
BUTANEDIOLS
BUTANOLS
CITRIC ACID
FERMENTATION
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT
PROPIONIC ACID
ALCOHOL FUELS
BIOMASS
FEASIBILITY STUDIES
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
USES
ALCOHOLS
BIOCONVERSION
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
ECONOMICS
ENERGY SOURCES
FUELS
GLYCOLS
HYDROXY ACIDS
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
KETONES
MONOCARBOXYLIC ACIDS
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
SYNTHESIS
SYNTHETIC FUELS
biomass
alcohol fuels
bioconversion
feedstocks
140504* - Solar Energy Conversion- Biomass Production & Conversion- (-1989)