Process for producing ethanol
First Claim
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1. A method comprising:
- a. culturing a microorganism to produce a dilute solution of a carboxylic acid salt, the cation of which is capable of producing an insoluble salt when combined with a weak acid;
b. acidifying the dilute carboxylic acid salt solution with a weak acid to produce a carboxylic acid and an insoluble salt of the cation and the weak acid;
c. esterifying the carboxylic acid with alcohol to form an ester; and
d. recovering the ester.
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Abstract
A process for producing ethanol including a combination of biochemical and synthetic conversions results in high yield ethanol production with concurrent production of high value coproducts. An acetic acid intermediate is produced from carbohydrates, such as corn, using enzymatic milling and fermentation steps, followed by conversion of the acetic acid into ethanol using esterification and hydrogenation reactions. Coproducts can include corn oil, and high protein animal feed containing the biomass produced in the fermentation.
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20 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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a. culturing a microorganism to produce a dilute solution of a carboxylic acid salt, the cation of which is capable of producing an insoluble salt when combined with a weak acid; b. acidifying the dilute carboxylic acid salt solution with a weak acid to produce a carboxylic acid and an insoluble salt of the cation and the weak acid; c. esterifying the carboxylic acid with alcohol to form an ester; and d. recovering the ester. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification