Process for the recovery of ketones and glycols from fermentation

A method of obtaining ketones from a fermentation process, the method comprising:

• collecting an off-gas and a fermented broth from the fermenter, wherein the off-gas and the fermented broth both comprise a ketone;
• transferring the off-gas from the fermenter to a ketone recuperation module;
• transferring the fermented broth to a light organic separation module that generates a stream comprising the ketone;
• transferring the stream comprising the ketone to the ketone recuperation module;
• and
• isolating the ketone from both the off-gas and the fermented broth.

A method of obtaining glycols from a fermentation process, the method comprising:

• collecting a fermented broth from the fermenter, wherein the fermented broth comprises a glycol;
• transferring the fermented broth to a fluid separating module that comprises a reactive distillation column;
• and
• isolating the glycol from the fermented broth,
• wherein isolating the glycol comprises:
• reacting a glycol in the fermented broth in the reactive distillation column with a separating agent to form an acetal and collecting a stream from the reactive distillation column comprising the acetal;
• transferring the stream comprising the acetal to a distillation column and distilling the stream comprising the acetal;
• transferring the stream comprising the acetal from the distillation column to a hydrolysis column and hydrolyzing the acetal to yield a reverted glycol;
• and
• collecting a stream from the hydrolysis column comprising the reverted glycol.