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US 2014/0349357 A1Published application
Methods of producing butanol from non-cellulosic biomass
Assignee3M Innovative Properties Company
InventorsMasayuki Nakamura, Dan L. Fanselow, Michaela Kathleen Culhane
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Abstract
Methods of recovering butanol, and preferably increasing the rate and/or yield of its production, from the fermentation of material derived from the digestion of non-cellulosic biomass.
Claims20
A method of producing butanol, the method comprising:
- introducing an aqueous mixture comprising carbohydrates obtained from non-cellulosic biomass into a fermenter;
- fermenting the aqueous mixture to provide a first fermentation broth, the fermentation broth comprising:
- a microorganism for producing butanol;
- carbohydrates from the non-cellulosic biomass;
- and
- butanol;
- and
- at least partially extracting the butanol from the first fermentation broth with a first solvent extractant by a first liquid-liquid extraction through a first porous membrane to provide a first extract and a second fermentation broth;
- wherein the first solvent extractant comprises a straight-chain or branched alcohol having from 7 to 12 carbon atoms;
- wherein the second fermentation broth has a lower concentration of the butanol than the first fermentation broth;
- wherein the first liquid-liquid extraction is carried out in a liquid-liquid extraction element comprising:
- a plurality of first layer pairs, each first layer pair comprising:
- a first polymeric microporous membrane;
- and
- a first flow channel layer oriented in a first flow direction having a first fluid inlet and a first fluid outlet disposed on first opposing sides of the liquid-liquid extraction element;
- and
- a plurality of second layer pairs, with at least one second layer pair being disposed between two first layer pairs and at least one first layer pair being disposed between two second layer pairs so as to form a stack of layers, each second layer pair comprising:
- a second polymeric microporous membrane;
- and
- a second flow channel layer oriented in a second flow direction different than the first flow direction and having a second fluid inlet and a second fluid outlet disposed on second opposing sides of the extraction element.
17 more elements
A method of recovering butanol from a fermentation broth, the method comprising:
- introducing an aqueous mixture comprising carbohydrates obtained from non-cellulosic biomass into a fermenter;
- fermenting the aqueous mixture to provide a first fermentation broth, the fermentation broth comprising:
- a microorganism for producing butanol;
- carbohydrates from the non-cellulosic biomass;
- and
- butanol;
- at least partially extracting the butanol from the first fermentation broth with a first solvent extractant by a first liquid-liquid extraction through a first porous membrane to provide a first extract and a second fermentation broth;
- and
- recovering at least a portion of the butanol from the first extract;
- wherein the first solvent extractant comprises a straight-chain or branched alcohol having from 7 to 12 carbon atoms;
- wherein the second fermentation broth has a lower concentration of the butanol than the first fermentation broth;
- wherein the first liquid-liquid extraction is carried out in a liquid-liquid extraction element comprising:
- a plurality of first layer pairs, each first layer pair comprising:
- a first polymeric microporous membrane;
- and
- a first flow channel layer oriented in a first flow direction having a first fluid inlet and a first fluid outlet disposed on first opposing sides of the liquid-liquid extraction element;
- and
- a plurality of second layer pairs, with at least one second layer pair being disposed between two first layer pairs and at least one first layer pair being disposed between two second layer pairs so as to form a stack of layers, each second layer pair comprising:
- a second polymeric microporous membrane;
- and
- a second flow channel layer oriented in a second flow direction different than the first flow direction and having a second fluid inlet and a second fluid outlet disposed on second opposing sides of the extraction element.
18 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.