Process for the recovery of a fermentation product

• US 8,580,038 B2
• Filed: 09/18/2008
• Issued: 11/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Asher Vitner Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Asher Vitner Ltd.
• Inventors: Vitner, Asher
• Primary Examiner(s): DRODGE, JOSEPH W
• Application Number:
  US12/679,837
• Publication Number:
  US 20100291646A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,881 Days
• Field of Search: 210/632, 210/634, 210/638, 210/663, 210/774, 210/806, 210/669, 435/135, 435/155, 435/157, 435/160, 435/161, 159/47.1, 203/39, 203/41, 127/46.1, 127/46.3, 127/53, 127/55, 127/34, 127/6.24, 562/608, 568/700, 568/868, 568916-918
• US Class Current: 127/34
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 15/00 Separating processes involving the treatment of liquids with solid sorbents using liquid sorbents B01D11/00; ion exchange processes or materials, sorbent materials in general B01J, e.g. sorbents for chromatography B01J20/281; for investigating or analysing materials G01N30/00; Apparatus therefor
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 29/76 by physical treatment
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 31/12 containing four carbon atoms
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/16 Butanols
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 50/10 Biofuels, e.g. bio-diesel

Abstract

The present invention provides a process for the purification and concentration of a partially water-soluble organic product from a source containing the same at concentration C0, which process comprises the steps of: (i) concentrating said product by means of a resin to form a first aqueous solution at concentration of C1; and (ii) fractionating an aqueous solution by temperature adjustment to form a second aqueous solution and a third aqueous solution with concentrations C2 and C3, respectively, wherein C2>C3 and C2>C1>C0.

Claims

1. A process for the production of butanol comprising the steps of

(i) fermenting a carbohydrate to form a fermentation liquor comprising butanol;

(ii) contacting said fermentation liquor, optionally after pretreatment, with a resin, whereby butanol is adsorbed to form a butanol-carrying resin;

(iii) desorbing butanol from said butanol-carrying resin to form a first solution, wherein said desorbing comprises contacting with a third solution at a temperature higher than butanol critical solubility temperature and wherein butanol concentration in said first solution is greater than butanol concentration in the fermentation liquor; and

(iv) cooling said first solution to a temperature below butanol critical solubility temperature, whereby two phases are formed; and

separating said phases to form a second solution and a third solution, wherein butanol concentration in said second solution is greater than that in said third solution and greater than that in said first solution, wherein said desorbing of step (iii) utilizes the third solution formed in step (iv).

2. A process for the production of butanol comprising the steps of:

(i) fermenting a carbohydrate to form a fermentation liquor comprising butanol;

(ii) contacting said fermentation liquor, optionally after pretreatment, with a resin, whereby butanol is absorbed to form a butanol-carrying resin;

(iii) desorbing butanol from said butanol-carrying resin to form a first solution, wherein said desorbing comprises contacting with a third solution at a temperature higher than butanol critical solubility temperature and wherein butanol concentration in said first solution is greater than butanol concentration in the fermentation liquor;

(iv) cooling said first solution to a temperature below butanol critical solubility temperature, whereby two phases are formed; and

separating said phases to form a second solution and a third solution, wherein butanol concentration in said second solution is greater than that in said third solution and greater than that in said first solution; and

(v) mixing the second solution formed in step (iv) with a carbohydrate solution and separating into two phases, a product phase and a carbohydrate-comprising fifth solution, wherein butanol concentration in said product phase is greater than butanol concentration in said second solution.

3. A process according to claim 2, comprising using said fifth solution in said fermentation.