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Title: Methods for increasing the production of ethanol from microbial fermentation

Patent ·
OSTI ID:941118

A stable continuous method for producing ethanol from the anaerobic bacterial fermentation of a gaseous substrate containing at least one reducing gas involves culturing a fermentation bioreactor anaerobic, acetogenic bacteria in a liquid nutrient medium; supplying the gaseous substrate to the bioreactor; and manipulating the bacteria in the bioreactor by reducing the redox potential, or increasing the NAD(P)H TO NAD(P) ratio, in the fermentation broth after the bacteria achieves a steady state and stable cell concentration in the bioreactor. The free acetic acid concentration in the bioreactor is maintained at less than 5 g/L free acid. This method allows ethanol to be produced in the fermentation broth in the bioreactor at a productivity greater than 10 g/L per day. Both ethanol and acetate are produced in a ratio of ethanol to acetate ranging from 1:1 to 20:1.

Research Organization:
BIOENGINEERING RESOURCES, INC.
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
DOE Contract Number:
FC04-94AL98770
Assignee:
Emmaus Foundation, Inc. (Fayetteville, AK)
Patent Number(s):
7,285,402
Application Number:
10/311,655
OSTI ID:
941118
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (3)

Clostridium carboxidivorans sp. nov., a solvent-producing clostridium isolated from an agricultural settling lagoon, and reclassification of the acetogen Clostridium scatologenes strain SL1 as Clostridium drakei sp. nov. journal September 2005
Introduction to the Proceedings of the Fourteenth Symposium on Biotechnology for Fuels and Chemicals journal September 1993
Biological conversion of coal and coal-derived synthesis gas journal December 1993

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