ARS | Publication request: HIGH PRODUCTIVITY CONTINUOUS BIOFILM REACTOR FOR BUTANOL PRODUCTION: EFFECT OF ACETIC AND BUTYRIC ACIDS AND CSL ON BIOREACTOR PERFORMANCE

Submitted to: Biotechnology for Fuels and Chemicals Symposium Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract
Publication Acceptance Date: May 7, 2003
Publication Date: May 7, 2003
Citation: KARCHER, P., QURESHI, N., BLASCHEK, H.P., COTTA, M.A. HIGH PRODUCTIVITY CONTINUOUS BIOFILM REACTOR FOR BUTANOL PRODUCTION: EFFECT OF ACETIC AND BUTYRIC ACIDS AND CSL ON BIOREACTOR PERFORMANCE. 25TH SYMPOSIUM ON BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR FUELS AND CHEMICALS. 2003. PAPER NO. 3-14.

Technical Abstract: A continuous biofilm reactor was used to study the effect of acetic and butyric acids and corn steep liquor (CSL) on reactor performance. In batch reactors, supplementation of acetic acid to the medium has a dramatic effect on the culture stability and production of high concentration of acetone butanol ethanol (ABE or solvents). In double series reactors, it has been observed that acids produced in the first reactor are converted into solvents in the second reactor. It has also been demonstrated in ABE recovery experiments that under appropriate conditions acids are converted into solvents. Conversion of acids into solvents enhances ABE yield. Hence, it was our objective to study the effect of supplementing fermentation medium with acetic and butyric acids. Additionally, experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of CSL on reactor stability and solvent production.