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Microbial fuel cell treatment of ethanol fermentation process water

Patent ·
OSTI ID:1055726
The present invention relates to a method for removing inhibitor compounds from a cellulosic biomass-to-ethanol process which includes a pretreatment step of raw cellulosic biomass material and the production of fermentation process water after production and removal of ethanol from a fermentation step, the method comprising contacting said fermentation process water with an anode of a microbial fuel cell, said anode containing microbes thereon which oxidatively degrade one or more of said inhibitor compounds while producing electrical energy or hydrogen from said oxidative degradation, and wherein said anode is in electrical communication with a cathode, and a porous material (such as a porous or cation-permeable membrane) separates said anode and cathode.
Research Organization:
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
DOE Contract Number:
AC05-00OR22725
Assignee:
UT-Battelle, LLC (Oak Ridge, TN)
Patent Number(s):
8,192,854
Application Number:
12/366,713
OSTI ID:
1055726
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (2)

Bug juice: harvesting electricity with microorganisms journal July 2006
Features of promising technologies for pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass journal April 2005

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