Title: Bioconversion of waste biomass to useful products

Abstract

A process is provided for converting waste biomass to useful products by gasifying the biomass to produce synthesis gas and converting the synthesis gas substrate to one or more useful products. The present invention is directed to the conversion of biomass wastes including municipal solid waste, sewage sludge, plastic, tires, agricultural residues and the like, as well as coal, to useful products such as hydrogen, ethanol and acetic acid. The overall process includes the steps of gasifying the waste biomass to produce raw synthesis gas, cooling the synthesis gas, converting the synthesis gas to the desired product or products using anaerobic bioconversion, and then recovering the product or products. In accordance with a particular embodiment of the present invention, waste biomass is converted to synthesis gas containing carbon monoxide and, then, the carbon monoxide is converted to hydrogen by an anaerobic microorganism ERIH2, bacillus smithii ATCC No. 55404.

Inventors:

Grady, James L ^[1]; Chen, Guang Jiong ^[1]

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1. Fayetteville, AR

Issue Date:

Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1998

Research Org.:

Engineering Resources, Inc., Fayetteville, AR

OSTI Identifier:

871893

Patent Number(s):

5821111

Assignee:

Bioengineering Resources, Inc. (Fayetteville, AR)

Patent Classifications (CPCs):

C - CHEMISTRY C12 - BIOCHEMISTRY C12M - APPARATUS FOR ENZYMOLOGY OR MICROBIOLOGY

C - CHEMISTRY C12 - BIOCHEMISTRY C12P - FERMENTATION OR ENZYME-USING PROCESSES TO SYNTHESISE A DESIRED CHEMICAL COMPOUND OR COMPOSITION OR TO SEPARATE OPTICAL ISOMERS FROM A RACEMIC MIXTURE {

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C - CHEMISTRY C12 - BIOCHEMISTRY C12M - APPARATUS FOR ENZYMOLOGY OR MICROBIOLOGY

C12M21/04 - {for producing gas, e.g. biogas
C12M43/00 - {Combinations of bioreactors or fermenters with other apparatus}
C12M47/18 - {Gas cleaning, e.g. scrubbers

C - CHEMISTRY C12 - BIOCHEMISTRY C12P - FERMENTATION OR ENZYME-USING PROCESSES TO SYNTHESISE A DESIRED CHEMICAL COMPOUND OR COMPOSITION OR TO SEPARATE OPTICAL ISOMERS FROM A RACEMIC MIXTURE {

C12P1/04 - by using bacteria

Y - NEW / CROSS SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES Y10 - TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC Y10S - TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS

Y10S435/832 - Bacillus

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DOE Contract Number:  

FG05-90ER81057

Resource Type:

Patent

Country of Publication:

United States

Language:

English

Subject:

bioconversion; waste; biomass; useful; products; process; provided; converting; gasifying; produce; synthesis; gas; substrate; directed; conversion; wastes; including; municipal; solid; sewage; sludge; plastic; tires; agricultural; residues; coal; hydrogen; ethanol; acetic; acid; overall; steps; raw; cooling; desired; product; anaerobic; recovering; accordance; particular; embodiment; converted; containing; carbon; monoxide; microorganism; erih2; bacillus; smithii; atcc; 55404; wastes including; particular embodiment; acetic acid; useful products; gas containing; carbon monoxide; synthesis gas; solid waste; containing carbon; overall process; sewage sludge; desired product; municipal solid; biomass wastes; converting waste; waste biomass; anaerobic microorganism; /435/