Biological production of acetic acid from waste gases with Clostridium ljungdahlii
A method and apparatus are disclosed for converting waste gases from industrial processes such as oil refining, carbon black, coke, ammonia, and methanol production, into useful products. The method includes introducing the waste gases into a bioreactor where they are fermented to various organic acids or alcohols by anaerobic bacteria within the bioreactor. These valuable end products are then recovered, separated and purified. In an exemplary recovery process, the bioreactor raffinate is passed through an extraction chamber into which one or more non-inhibitory solvents are simultaneously introduced to extract the product. Then, the product is separated from the solvent by distillation. Gas conversion rates can be maximized by use of centrifuges, hollow fiber membranes, or other means of ultrafiltration to return entrained anaerobic bacteria from the bioreactor raffinate to the bioreactor itself, thus insuring the highest possible cell concentration. 5 figs.
- Research Organization:
- Bioengineering Resources Inc
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- FC02-90CE40939
- Assignee:
- Bioengineering Resources, Inc., Fayetteville, AR (United States)
- Patent Number(s):
- US 5,807,722/A/
- Application Number:
- PAN: 8-347,512
- OSTI ID:
- 672644
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: 15 Sep 1998
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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