ENZYMATIC PRODUCTION OF ALCOHOL ESTERS FOR RECOVERY OF DIOLS PRODUCED BY FERMENTATION
First Claim
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1. A method for recovering a diol from a fermentation process comprising:
- a) providing a fermentation medium or fermentation product broth containing a diol;
b) contacting the diol in the fermentation medium or fermentation product broth with at least one carboxylic acid and at least one catalyst capable of esterifying the carboxylic acid with the diol to form diol esters of the carboxylic acid in the presence of an organic solvent which is present at a concentration sufficient to produce a two-phase mixture;
c) separating the diol ester-containing organic phase from the aqueous phase; and
d) hydrolyzing the diol ester into carboxylic acid and diol; and
e) recovering the diol.
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Abstract
Diols produced in fermentation are processed in broth by esterification of the product diol with a carboxylic acid (e.g., fatty acid) and a catalyst (e.g., lipase) capable of esterifying the product diol, such as 1,3-propanediol, with the carboxylic acid to form the diol esters. The diol esters can be extracted from the broth, and the product diol recovered from the diol esters. The carboxylic acid can also serve as an extractant for removal of the diol esters from the fermentation medium.
36 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method for recovering a diol from a fermentation process comprising:
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a) providing a fermentation medium or fermentation product broth containing a diol; b) contacting the diol in the fermentation medium or fermentation product broth with at least one carboxylic acid and at least one catalyst capable of esterifying the carboxylic acid with the diol to form diol esters of the carboxylic acid in the presence of an organic solvent which is present at a concentration sufficient to produce a two-phase mixture; c) separating the diol ester-containing organic phase from the aqueous phase; and d) hydrolyzing the diol ester into carboxylic acid and diol; and e) recovering the diol. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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2. A method for producing a diol from a biomass feedstock comprising:
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a) providing a biomass feedstock; b) liquefying the biomass feedstock to create a feedstock slurry comprising oligosaccharides; c) saccharifying the oligosaccharides of the feedstock slurry to produce fermentable sugars; d) fermenting the fermentable sugars using a microorganism to produce a diol in a fermentation medium or a fermentation product broth; e) contacting the diol in the fermentation medium or fermentation product broth with at least one carboxylic acid and at least one catalyst capable of esterifying the carboxylic acid with the diol to form diol esters of the carboxylic acid in the presence of an organic solvent which is present at a concentration sufficient to produce a two-phase mixture; f) separating the diol ester-containing organic phase from the aqueous phase; g) hydrolyzing the diol ester into carboxylic acid and diol; and h) recovering the diol. wherein optionally steps (c) and (d) occur concurrently, optionally steps (d) and (e) occur concurrently, or optionally steps (c), (d), and (e) occur concurrently. - View Dependent Claims (14, 21)
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Specification