ABE FERMENTATION METHOD COMPRISING PRODUCT ABSORPTION THROUGH ISOPHORON

• US 20140113341A1
• Filed: 06/13/2012
• Published: 04/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Evonik Degussa GmbH
• Original Assignee: Evonik Degussa GmbH
• Inventors: Nitz, Joerg-Joachim, Grund, Gerda, Becker, Franz Ulrich, Stier, Patrick
• Granted Patent: US 8,945,891 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 435/150
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2252/205 Other organic compounds not covered by B01D2252/00 - B01D2252/20494
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2257/708 Volatile organic compounds V.O.C.'s
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/1487 Removing organic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/1493 Selection of liquid materials for use as absorbents
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 45/783 by gas-liquid treatment, e.g. by gas-liquid absorption
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 45/80 by liquid-liquid treatment
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 45/82 by distillation
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 49/08 Acetone
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/06 Ethanol, i.e. non-beverage
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/065 with microorganisms other than yeasts
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/16 Butanols
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/28 Acetone-containing products
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 50/10 Biofuels, e.g. bio-diesel

Abstract

The invention relates to a method comprising the following method steps: A) providing an aqueous solution comprising microorganisms producing low-molecular, organic compounds; B) introducing at least one gas or gas mixture into the aqueous solution; C) recovering the gas flow through a compound comprising an isophoron; and optionally D) separating the low-molecular, organic compound from the composition comprising the isophoron.

Claims

1. A method comprising

A) introducing at least one gas or gas mixture into an aqueous solution comprising microorganisms producing a low-molecular-weight organic compound,

B) channelling the gas stream out through a composition comprising isophorone, and optionally

C) separating off the low-molecular-weight organic compound from the composition comprising isophorone.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the low-molecular-weight organic compound is selected from the group consisting of acetone, butanol, and ethanol.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the microorganisms are selected from genera of the group consisting of Clostridium, Zymomonas, Escherichia, Salmonella, Rhodococcus, Pseudomonas, Bacillus, Lactobacillus, Enterococcus, Acaligenes, Klebsiella, Paenibacillus, Arthrobacter, Corynebacterium, Brevibacterium, Pichia, Candida, Hansenula and Saccharomyces.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the gas or gas mixture comprises at least one gas selected from the group consisting of air, synthesis gas, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, hydrogen, oxygen and methane.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the low-molecular-weight organic compound is acetone, ethanol or butanol, the microorganisms are Clostridium acetobutylicum or Clostridium beijerinckii and the gas or gas mixture comprises at least one gas selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, air, synthesis gas, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, H₂ and methane.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the low-molecular-weight organic compound is acetone, and as microorganisms, those used are those that produce acetone starting from acetyl coenzyme A acetone via

an enzymatic reaction of acetyl-CoA to form acetoacetyl-CoA,

an enzymatic reaction of acetoacetyl-CoA to form acetoacetate and CoA, wherein

the coenzyme A is not transferred to an acceptor molecule and decarboxylation of acetoacetate to form acetone and CO₂.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the low-molecular-weight organic compound is acetone, the microorganisms are acetogenic microorganisms that form acetone from at least one carbon source selected from the group consisting of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide, and the gas or gas mixture comprises at least one gas selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, synthesis gas, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and H₂.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the gas stream channelled out in B) is passed through a plurality of spatially separated compositions comprising isophorone.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the gas or gas mixture leaving the composition comprising isophorone is fed back to the aqueous solution of A).

10. The method of claim 1, wherein, in A), the microorganisms produce the low-molecular-weight organic compound under aerobic conditions, and the gas or gas mixture comprises elemental oxygen.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein, in A), the microorganisms produce the low-molecular-weight organic compound under anaerobic conditions, and the gas or gas mixture comprises no elemental oxygen.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the low-molecular weight organic compound is acetone.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the low-molecular weight organic compound is butanol.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the low-molecular weight organic compound is ethanol.

12. A method of absorbing a low-molecular-weight organic compound from a gas or gas mixture comprising the low-molecular-weight organic compound;

the method comprising contacting the gas or gas mixture with isophorone.