Biological production of ethanol from coal. Final report
Due to the abundant supply of coal in the United States, significant research efforts have occurred over the past 15 years concerning the conversion of coal to liquid fuels. Researchers at the University of Arkansas have concentrated on a biological approach to coal liquefaction, starting with coal-derived synthesis gas as the raw material. Synthesis gas, a mixture of CO, H{sub 2}, CO{sub 2}, CH{sub 4} and sulfur gases, is first produced using traditional gasification techniques. The CO, CO{sub 2} and H{sub 2} are then converted to ethanol using a bacterial culture of Clostridium 1jungdahlii. Ethanol is the desired product if the resultant product stream is to be used as a liquid fuel. However, under normal operating conditions, the ``wild strain`` produces acetate in favor of ethanol in conjunction with growth in a 20:1 molar ratio. Research was performed to determine the conditions necessary to maximize not only the ratio of ethanol to acetate, but also to maximize the concentration of ethanol resulting in the product stream.
- Research Organization:
- Arkansas Univ., Fayetteville, AR (United States). Dept. of Chemical Engineering
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC22-89PC89876
- OSTI ID:
- 10153558
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/PC/89876-T18; ON: DE93014938
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: Dec 1992
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Biological production of ethanol from coal
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59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
10 SYNTHETIC FUELS
SYNTHESIS GAS
BIOCONVERSION
ETHANOL
CHEMICAL REACTION YIELD
PROGRESS REPORT
CULTURE MEDIA
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
BIOCHEMICAL REACTION KINETICS
METABOLISM
ACETATES
010408
550700
550500
100200
C1 PROCESSES
MICROBIOLOGY
PRODUCTION