Bench-scale demonstration of biological production of ethanol from coal synthesis gas

Technical Report · Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1992

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6566824· OSTI ID:6566824

Culture isolation and selection studies are being performed in order to select the best biological system for bench-scale studies in producing ethanol from syngas components. Three isolates have been found which produce more than 2 g/L ethanol from CO and C0[sub 2]/H[sub 2] in batch culture. These low concentrations are actually quite promising since Clostridium ljungdahlii, strain PETC, performs well in continuous culture but produces only small concentrations of ethanol in batch culture after several weeks of incubation. Two of the isolates have been utilized in the CSTR, where 90 percent CO conversions have been noted, while producing up to 2 g/L ethanol, in preliminary studies. CSTR studies will continue until steady state is reached. An anaerobic bacterium has been isolated from natural sources that converts the components of synthesis gas (CO, H[sub 2],C0[sub 2]) into ethanol. This organism, the only one known at that time to produce ethanol from synthesis gas, has been identified as a new clostridial strain and has been named Clostridium ljungdahlii, strain PETC.

• Research Organization: Engineering Resources, Inc., Fayetteville, AR (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC22-92PC92118
• OSTI ID: 6566824
• Report Number(s): DOE/PC/92118-T1; ON: DE93015055
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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37 INORGANIC
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PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
ETHANOL
SYNTHESIS
SYNTHESIS GAS
CONVERSION
BACTERIA
CELL CULTURES
PITTSBURGH ENERGY TECHNOLOGY CENTER
PROGRESS REPORT
ALCOHOLS
DOCUMENT TYPES
FLUIDS
GASES
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
MICROORGANISMS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
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US DOE
US ORGANIZATIONS
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