# US 2021/0340480 A1 · Process for producing alcohols with clostridium on a solid support

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- Number: US 2021/0340480 A1
- Document ID: US20210340480A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/279,769
- Filed: 2019-09-26
- Published: 2021-11-04
- Earliest claimed: 2018-09-28
- Assignees: Ifp Energies Nouvelles
- Applicants: IFP Energies nouvelles
- Inventors: Helena GONZALEZ PENAS; Marcel ROPARS; Eszter TOTH; Vincent COUPARD; Sandra MENIR; Nicolas LOPES FERREIRA
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210340480A1

## CPC

- C12M 25/00: {Means for supporting, enclosing or fixing the microorganisms, e.g. immunocoatings}
- C12N 11/08: the carrier being a synthetic polymer
- C12N 11/093: Polyurethanes
- C12P 7/04: acyclic
- C12P 7/065: {with microorganisms other than yeasts}
- C12P 7/16: Butanols
- C12P 7/28: Acetone-containing products
- Y02E 50/10: Biofuels, e.g. bio-diesel
- 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)
- 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)}
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

The present invention relates to a process for producing alcohols, in which a sugary fluid is introduced into a fermentation reactor (2) to produce a fermentation must enriched in isopropanol, butanol, ethanol and acetone relative to the sugary fluid, the fermentation reactor (2) comprising a biomass produced by a strain belonging to the genus Clostridium which is supported on a solid support (9) comprising a polyurethane foam; and to a fermentation reactor (2) comprising said biomass supported on said solid support (9).

## Claims

### Claim 1

A process for producing alcohols, in which a sugary fluid is introduced into a fermentation reactor (2) to produce a fermentation must enriched in isopropanol, butanol, ethanol and acetone relative to the sugary fluid, the fermentation reactor (2) comprising a biomass produced by a strain belonging to the genus Clostridium which is supported on a solid support (9) comprising a polyurethane foam.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The process as claimed in claim 1, in which the polyurethane foam has: volume cavities in which the equivalent sphere diameter is between 0.1 and 5 mm; and/or a bulk density measured in air of between 10 and 90 g/L.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The process as claimed in claim 1, in which the sugary fluid is introduced continuously into the fermentation reactor (2).

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The process as claimed in claim 3, in which the fermentation is performed at a dilution rate (D) of the sugary fluid relative to the volume of the fermentation reactor (2) of between 0.04 h−1 and 1 h−1.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The process as claimed in claim 1, in which the biomass produced by the strain belonging to the genus Clostridium comprises a bacterium belonging to a species selected from the species Clostridium acetobutylicum, Clostridium beijerinckii, Clostridium saccharobutylicum, Clostridium tyrobutyricum, C. saccharoperbutylacetonicum, C. butylicum.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The process as claimed in claim 1, in which the biomass produced by the strain belonging to the genus Clostridium comprises a genetically modified bacterium belonging to the species Clostridium beijerinckii which naturally produces isopropanol and/or Clostridium acetobutylicum which is genetically modified for the production of isopropanol.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The process as claimed in claim 1, in which the biomass produced by the strain belonging to the genus Clostridium is immobilized on the solid support (9) in a secondary tank (7), and the solid support (9) supporting the biomass produced by the strain belonging to the genus Clostridium is introduced into the fermentation reactor (2).

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The process as claimed in claim 1, in which the biomass produced by the strain belonging to the genus Clostridium is immobilized on the solid support in the form of a biofilm.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The process as claimed in claim 1, in which the solid support (9) is introduced into the fermentation reactor (2) in the form of one or more blocks, and/or in the form of a net or a latticed container (10) comprising a plurality of polyurethane foam cubes, parallelepipeds or any other three-dimensional forms.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The process as claimed in claim 1, in which the solid support (9) is substantially in the form of a straight circular cylinder with a diameter less than or substantially equal to the inside diameter of the fermentation reactor (2).

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The process as claimed in claim 1, in which the solid support (9) forms a fluidized bed or a fixed bed in the fermentation reactor (2).

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The process as claimed in claim 1, in which the solid support (9) is placed in the fermentation reactor (2) so as to be flush with the surface of the reaction medium of the fermentation reactor (2).

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The process as claimed in claim 1, which the production of the fermentation must is performed by anaerobic fermentation.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The process as claimed in claim 1, in which the fermentation is performed at a temperature of between 28° C. and 40° C., and/or at a pressure of between about 0.1 MPa and 0.15 MPa, and/or for a time of at least 250 hours.

### Claim 15

A fermentation reactor (2) comprising a biomass suitable for producing isopropanol, butanol, ethanol and acetone and produced by a strain belonging to the genus Clostridium supported on a solid support (9) comprising a polyurethane foam.