Fermentation of xylose by bacillus macerans

Technical Report · Tue Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1981

OSTI ID:5288124

Delfino, T A; Blanch, H W; Wilke, C R

Plant stems, leaves, wood and most other sources of cellulose contain hemicelluloses. When cellulose from these sources is enzymatically hydrolyzed, hemicelluloses are also hydrolyzed by the action of xylanase. The hydrolysis of hemicelluloses yields pentoses, primarily xylose, and some hexoses. Bacillus macerans is capable of fermenting pentoses to ethanol. The ability of B. macerans to ferment pentoses to ethanol was examined. The organism was grown in a continuous flow stirred-tank fermenter. In continuous culture at steady state, ethanol and acetic acid were produced, whereas in batch culture and during transients in continuous culture, ethanol, acetic acid and acetone were produced. The organism was found to have a relatively high maximum specific growth rate. This maximum specific growth rate was observed to be higher than previously reported for B. macerans organisms. It was found that B. macerans had difficulty attaining and maintaining a steady state when grown in continuous culture.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Berkeley Lab., CA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC03-76SF00098
• OSTI ID: 5288124
• Report Number(s): LBL-14648; ON: DE82018729
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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ALCOHOLS
ALDEHYDES
BACILLUS
BACTERIA
BATCH CULTURE
BIOCONVERSION
BIOSYNTHESIS
CARBOHYDRATES
CELLULOSE
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
CONTINUOUS CULTURE
DECOMPOSITION
ETHANOL
FERMENTATION
HYDROLYSIS
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
LYSIS
MEMBRANE TRANSPORT
METABOLISM
MICROORGANISMS
MONOSACCHARIDES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PENTOSES
POLYSACCHARIDES
SACCHARIDES
SAMPLING
SIMULATION
SOLVOLYSIS
SYNTHESIS
XYLOSE