# US 2020/0399664 A1 · Processes and systems for metabolite production using hydrogen rich c1-containing substrates

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- Number: US 2020/0399664 A1
- Document ID: US20200399664A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/014,760
- Filed: 2020-09-08
- Published: 2020-12-24
- Earliest claimed: 2017-09-08
- Assignees: LanzaTech, Inc.
- Applicants: LanzaTech, Inc.
- Inventors: Robert John Conrado; Guy William Waters; Matthew Puglisi; Joshua Jeremy Conolly
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20200399664A1

## CPC

- C12P 7/14: Multiple stages of fermentation; Multiple types of microorganisms or re-use of microorganisms
- A23K 10/12: by fermentation of natural products, e.g. of vegetable material, animal waste material or biomass
- A23K 10/16: Addition of microorganisms or extracts thereof, e.g. single-cell proteins, to feeding-stuff compositions (A23K10/12 takes precedence)
- C12N 1/20: Bacteria; Culture media therefor
- C12N 1/205: Bacterial isolates
- C12N 1/30: having five or less carbon atoms
- C12P 7/00: Preparation of oxygen-containing organic compounds
- C12P 7/065: {with microorganisms other than yeasts}
- C12P 7/08: produced as by-product or from waste or cellulosic material substrate
- C12P 7/16: Butanols
- C12P 7/54: Acetic acid (vinegar C12J)
- C12R 2001/02: Acetobacter
- C12R 2001/145: Clostridium
- 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)}
- A23K: FODDER
- 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 invention is directed to a process for producing one or more fermentation product in a multi-stage process including an inoculation reactor and at least one bioreactor. The inoculation reactor is fed a C1-containing gaseous substrate containing a reduced amount of hydrogen. The hydrogen is reduced to increase the proportion of CO in the C1-containing gaseous substrate being provided to the inoculation reactor. The inoculation reactor ferments the CO-rich C1-containing gaseous substrate and produces an inoculum, which is fed to at least one bioreactor. The bioreactor receives the C1-containing gaseous substrate, which may or may not contain reduced amounts of hydrogen, to produce one or more fermentation product. By providing a CO-rich C1-containing gaseous substrate to the inoculation reactor, both the inoculation reactor and the subsequent bioreactor(s), are able to have increased stability and product selectivity.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A process comprising:
a. producing a syngas comprising CO and H2;
b. passing the syngas to a hydrogen separation zone to produce a CO rich gaseous substrate and an H2 rich gaseous substrate;
c. passing the CO rich gaseous substrate to an inoculation reactor comprising a culture of at least one C1-fixing microorganism in a liquid nutrient medium;
d. fermenting the CO-rich gaseous substrate to produce an inoculum;
e. passing at least a portion of the inoculum to at least one bioreactor, the bioreactor system comprising at least one bioreactor containing a culture of at least one C1-fixing microorganism in a liquid nutrient medium;
f. passing the H2 rich gaseous substrate to at least one bioreactor; and
g. fermenting the H2 rich C1-containing gaseous substrate to produce at least one fermentation product.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1 wherein the syngas is passed to a water gas shift reactor to convert at least a portion of the CO and H2 is converted to CO2 and water and then passing the gaseous substrate exiting the water gas shift reactor to the hydrogen separation zone.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The process of claim 2 where the gaseous substrate exiting the water gas shift reactor is passed to a second water gas shift reactor and the exit stream from the second water shift reactor is passed to the hydrogen separation zone.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1 where the hydrogen separation zone comprises a membrane separation reactor.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The process of claim 4 where at least a portion of the H2 rich gaseous substrate from the membrane separation reactor is passed to a pressure swing adsorption (PSA) reactor to produce a hydrogen stream and a CO and H2 gaseous substrate which is passed to the bioreactor.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1 where the hydrogen separation zone is a PSA reactor.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the CO-rich gaseous substrate comprises H2 at an H2:CO molar ratio of less than 1:1.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the CO-rich gaseous substrate comprises H2 at an H2:CO molar ratio of less than 0.5:1.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the CO-rich gaseous substrate comprises H2 at an H2:CO molar ratio between 0.02:1 to 1:1.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the H2 rich gaseous substrate comprises H2 at an H2:CO molar ratio of at least 1.1:1.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the H2 rich gaseous substrate comprises H2 at an H2:CO molar ratio between 1.1:1 to 6:1.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the C1-fixing microorganism is a carboxydotrophic bacterium.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The process of claim 12, wherein the carboxydotrophic bacterium is selected from the group consisting of Moorella, Clostridium, Ruminococcus, Acetobacterium, Eubacterium, Butyribacterium, Oxobacter, Methanosarcina, and Desulfotomaculum.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The process of claim 13, wherein the carboxydotrophic bacterium is Clostridium autoethanogenum.

### Claim 15 (depends on 18)

The process of claim 18, wherein the syngas is produced from steam methane reforming, steam naphta reforming, petroleum coke gasification, dry methane reforming and mixtures thereof.

### Claim 16 (depends on 11)

The process of claim 11, wherein the at least one fermentation product is selected from ethanol, acetate, butanol, butyrate, 2,3-butanediol, 1,3-butanediol, lactate, butene, butadiene, methyl ethyl ketone, ethylene, acetone, isopropanol, lipids, 3-hydroxypropionate, isoprene, fatty acids, 2-butanol, 1,2-propanediol, 1-propanol, monoethylene glycol, isobutene, C6-C14 alcohols, and mixtures thereof.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The process of claim 16, wherein the one or more fermentation product is further converted to at least one component of diesel fuel, jet fuel, gasoline, propylene, nylon 6-6, rubber, and/or resins.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The process of claim 16, wherein at least one fermentation product is microbial biomass.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The process of claim 18, wherein the microbial biomass is processed to produce at least one component of animal feed.