# US 10,870,868 B2 · Method for producing bioethanol from dates

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- Number: US 10,870,868 B2
- Document ID: US10870868B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/391,497
- Filed: 2019-04-23
- Published: 2020-10-29
- Granted: 2020-12-22
- Earliest claimed: 2019-04-23
- Assignees: King Faisal University
- Applicants: King Faisal University
- Inventors: Salah Mohammed Aleid; Siddig Hussein Hamad
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10870868B2

## CPC

- C12P 7/08: produced as by-product or from waste or cellulosic material substrate
- C12M 21/12: {for producing fuels or solvents (C12M21/04 takes precedence; liquid carbonaceous fuels C10L1/00, solid fuels C10L5/00)}
- C12M 45/02: {by mechanical forces; Stirring; Trituration; Comminuting (crushing, pulverizing, disintegrating in general B02C)}
- C12N 1/145: Fungi isolates
- C12N 1/16: Yeasts; Culture media therefor
- C12M 23/08: {Flask, bottle or test tube}
- C12M 41/36: {of biomass, e.g. colony counters or by turbidity measurements (electrooptical investigation of individual particles G01N15/14, flow cytometers G01N15/1404)}
- C12R 2001/645: Fungi {; Processes using fungi}
- Y02E 50/10: Biofuels, e.g. bio-diesel
- C12P: FERMENTATION OR ENZYME-USING PROCESSES TO SYNTHESISE A DESIRED CHEMICAL COMPOUND OR COMPOSITION OR TO SEPARATE OPTICAL ISOMERS FROM A RACEMIC MIXTURE {(brewing of beer C12C; producing vinegar C12J; producing specific peptides or proteins C07K; producing enzymes C12N9/00; DNA or RNA concerning genetic engineering, vectors, e.g. plasmids, or their isolation, preparation or purification C12N15/00; measuring or testing processes involving enzymes or microorganisms C12Q; measuring or testing processes involving nucleic acid amplification reactions C12Q1/6844; fermentation processes to form a food composition, A21 or A23; compounds in general, see the relevant compound class, e.g. C01, C07)}
- C12M: APPARATUS FOR ENZYMOLOGY OR MICROBIOLOGY; {APPARATUS FOR CULTURING MICROORGANISMS FOR PRODUCING BIOMASS, FOR GROWING CELLS OR FOR OBTAINING FERMENTATION OR METABOLIC PRODUCTS, i.e. BIOREACTORS OR FERMENTERS}
- C12N: MICROORGANISMS OR ENZYMES; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF; PROPAGATING, PRESERVING, OR MAINTAINING MICROORGANISMS; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING; CULTURE MEDIA (microbiological testing media C12Q1/00)
- C12R: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES C12C - C12Q, RELATING TO MICROORGANISMS
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

The method for producing bioethanol from dates includes manufacturing a suitable substrate for bioethanol from dates and fermenting the date substrate to produce bioethanol. The date substrate may be produced by de-pitting date fruits, heating the flesh with water to produce a mixture, filter pressing the mixture to produce a juice, and concentrated by vacuum drying to produce a date substrate. The date substrate may then be fermented in either a batch or a fed-batch culture. The fermentation may be performed with a thermophilic yeast, such K. marxianus. In an alternative embodiment the date substrate may be a date fruit extract.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for producing bioethanol from dates, comprising:
de-pitting date fruits to produce date fruit flesh;
heating the date fruit flesh with water to produce a mixture;
filter pressing the mixture to produce a juice;
concentrating the juice to produce a date substrate, wherein the date substrate used for the fermentation has a starting sugar concentration ranging from 20% to 25%; and
fermenting the date substrate with yeast at between 30° C.-40° C. for 32 hours, wherein the yeast is selected from the group consisting of S. cerevisiae and S. cerevisiae NCYC 431, to produce a 11.2-11.8% w/v bioethanol concentration.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method for producing bioethanol from dates according to claim 1, wherein heating the date fruit flesh comprises mixing the date fruit flesh with an equal volume of water at about 80° C. for about 30 minutes to produce the mixture.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method for producing bioethanol from dates according to claim 1, further comprising further purifying the juice by micro-filtration using a sheet filter system before the juice is concentrated.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method for producing bioethanol from dates according to claim 1, wherein concentrating the juice comprises vacuum drying the juice.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method for producing bioethanol from dates according to claim 1, wherein the vacuum drying comprises vacuum drying the juice to about 75 Brix at a temperature of about 80° C.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method for producing bioethanol from dates according to claim 1, wherein the date fruits comprise waste date fruits.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method for producing bioethanol from dates according to claim 6, wherein the waste date fruits are selected from the group consisting of Ruzeiz, Shunaizi, and Shahal dates.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method for producing bioethanol from dates according to claim 7, wherein the waste date fruits are harvested in Saudi Arabia.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method for producing bioethanol from dates according to claim 1, wherein the fermenting comprises fermenting the date substrate in a batch culture.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method for producing bioethanol from dates according to claim 1, wherein the fermenting comprises fermenting the date substrate in a fed-batch culture.