Degradation of cellulosic biomass and its subsequent utilization for the production of chemical feedstocks. Progress report, September 1-November 30, 1978

Technical Report · Wed Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1978

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5843634· OSTI ID:5843634

Wang, D. I.; Cooney, C. L.; Demain, A. L.; Gomez, R. F.; Sinskey, A. J.

Studies on the accumulation of glucose during the fermentation of cellulose by Clostridium thermocellum are discussed. Production of ethanol and its relationship to growth rate in C. thermocellum is reported. Different biomasses were tested for ethanol yields. These included exploded poplar, sugar cane, bagasse, corn cobs, sweet gum, rice straw, and wheat straw. Thermophilic bacteria were tested to determine relationship of temperature to yield of ethanol. A preliminary report on isolating plaque forming emits derived from C. thermocellum is presented as well as the utilization of carbohydrates in nutrition. A cellulose enzyme is being purified from C. thermocellum. The production of chemical feedstocks by fermentation is reported. Acrylic acid, acetone/butanol, and acetic acid, produced by C. propionicum, C. acetobutylicum, and C. thermoaceticum, are discussed. (DC)

• Research Organization: Massachusetts Inst. of Tech., Cambridge (USA). Dept. of Nutrition and Food Science
• OSTI ID: 5843634
• Report Number(s): COO-4198-8
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
ACETIC ACID
ACETONE
ACRYLIC ACID
AGRICULTURAL WASTES
ALCOHOLS
ALDEHYDES
BACTERIA
BAGASSE
BIOCONVERSION
BIOMASS
BIOSYNTHESIS
BUTANOLS
CARBOHYDRATES
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
CELLOBIOSE
CELLULOSE
CEREALS
CHEMICAL FEEDSTOCKS
CLOSTRIDIUM
DISACCHARIDES
ENERGY SOURCE DEVELOPMENT
ENERGY SOURCES
ENZYMES
ETHANOL
FERMENTATION
GLUCOSE
GRAMINEAE
GRASS
GROWTH
HEXOSES
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
KETONES
MAIZE
MICROORGANISMS
MONOCARBOXYLIC ACIDS
MONOSACCHARIDES
OLIGOSACCHARIDES
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PLANTS
POLYSACCHARIDES
POPLARS
PURIFICATION
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
RICE
SACCHARIDES
SOLID WASTES
SUGAR CANE
SYNTHESIS
THERMOPHILIC CONDITIONS
TREES
WASTES
WHEAT