# US 9,517,985 B2 · Method for producing butanol using extractive fermentation > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,517,985 B2 - Document ID: US9517985B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/772,705 - Filed: 2014-03-14 - Published: 2016-01-21 - Granted: 2016-12-13 - Earliest claimed: 2013-03-15 - Assignees: Butamax Advanced Biofuels LLC - Applicants: Butamax Advanced Biofuels LLC - Inventors: Thomas Basham; Leslie William Bolton; Ian David Dobson; Sarah Richardson Hanson; Aidan Hurley; Karen Kustedjo; Andrew Richard Lucy; Liang Song - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9517985B2 ## CPC - C07C 29/86: by liquid-liquid treatment - C07C 29/76: by physical treatment - C07C 31/12: containing four carbon atoms - C12P 7/16: Butanols - Y02E 50/10: Biofuels, e.g. bio-diesel - C07C: ACYCLIC OR CARBOCYCLIC COMPOUNDS - 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 invention relates to a method for producing butanol through microbial fermentation, in which the butanol product is removed by extraction into a water immiscible organic extractant during the fermentation. The invention also relates to a method for producing butanol through microbial fermentation, in which the butanol product is removed during the fermentation by extraction into a water-immiscible extractant composition. The invention further relates to compositions comprising a solution of butanol in a water immiscible organic extractant composition. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for recovering butanol from a fermentation medium, the method comprising: (a) providing a fermentation medium comprising butanol, water, and a recombinant microorganism comprising a butanol biosynthetic pathway, wherein the recombinant microorganism produces butanol; (b) contacting the fermentation medium with a water immiscible organic extractant composition comprising a solvent selected from the group consisting of C12 to C22 fatty alcohols, C12 to C22 ethers, esters of C12 to C22 fatty acids, C10 to C22 alkanes, and mixtures thereof, to form a butanol-containing organic phase and an aqueous phase, wherein the solvent is biocompatible with the microorganism such that at least about 90% of the microorganisms are viable after exposure to the organic extractant composition, and wherein the solvent has a boiling point less than about 300° C, with the proviso that the organic extractant is not oleyl alcohol, 1-dodecanol, behenyl alcohol, cetyl alcohol, myristyl alcohol, or stearyl alcohol; and (c) recovering the butanol from the butanol-containing organic phase. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the solvent is trimethylnonanol, methyl laurate, di-n-octyl ether, dodecane, n-undecane, ethyl decanoate, ethyl laurate, or mixtures thereof. ### Claim 3 A method for recovering butanol from a fermentation medium, the method comprising: (a) providing a fermentation medium comprising butanol, water, and a recombinant microorganism comprising a butanol biosynthetic pathway, wherein the recombinant microorganism produces butanol; (b) contacting the fermentation medium with a water immiscible organic extractant composition comprising a solvent is trimethylnonanol, methyl laurate, di-n-octyl ether, dodecane, n-undecane, ethyl decanoate, ethyl laurate, or mixtures thereof, to form a butanol-containing organic phase and an aqueous phase; and (c) recovering the butanol from the butanol-containing organic phase. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the contacting of the organic extractant composition with the fermentation medium occurs in a fermentor. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: transferring a portion of the fermentation medium from the fermentor to a vessel, wherein the contacting of the organic extractant composition with the fermentation medium occurs in the vessel. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the butanol is isobutanol. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the organic extractant composition further comprises an additional solvent, wherein the additional solvent is n-hexanol, methyl isobutyl carbinol, 2-ethyl-1-hexanol, 2,6-dimethylheptan-4-ol, or mixtures thereof. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the additional solvent is 2,6-dimethylheptan-4-ol. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the organic extractant composition further comprises an additional solvent with a butanol partition coefficient greater than about 4. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method according to claim 9, wherein the organic extractant composition further comprises an additional solvent, wherein the additional solvent is n-hexanol, methyl isobutyl carbinol, 2-ethyl-1-hexanol, 2,6-dimethylheptan-4-ol, or mixtures thereof. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the additional solvent is 2,6-dimethylheptan-4-ol. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the contacting comprises contacting the fermentation medium via a co-current or counter-current stream of the organic extractant composition. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the recovered butanol has an effective titer from about 22 g per liter to about 40 g per liter of the fermentation medium. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the recovered butanol has an effective titer of at least about 37 g per liter of the fermentation medium. ### Claim 15 A composition comprising a solution of butanol in a water immiscible organic extractant composition, wherein the organic extractant composition comprises a solvent selected from the group consisting of C12 to C22 fatty alcohols, C12 to C22 ethers, esters of C12 to C22 fatty acids, C10 to C22 alkanes, and mixtures thereof, wherein the solvent is biocompatible with a recombinant microorganism comprising a butanol biosynthetic pathway, wherein at least 90% of the recombinant microorganisms are viable after exposure to the organic extractant composition, and wherein the solvent has a boiling point less than about 300° C., with the proviso that the solvent is not oleyl alcohol, 1-dodecanol, behenyl alcohol, cetyl alcohol, myristyl alcohol, or stearyl alcohol. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The composition of claim 15, wherein the solvent is trimethylnonanol, methyl laurate, di-n-octyl ether, dodecane, n-undecane, ethyl decanoate, ethyl laurate, or mixtures thereof. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The composition of claim 15, wherein the organic extractant composition further comprises an additional solvent, wherein the additional solvent is n-hexanol, methyl isobutyl carbinol, 2-ethyl-1-hexanol, 2,6-dimethylheptan -4-ol, or mixtures thereof. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The composition of claim 17, wherein the additional solvent is 2,6-dimethylheptan-4-ol. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The composition of claim 15, wherein the butanol is isobutanol.