Process for extracting carboxylic acids produced by anaerobic fermentation from fermentable biomass
Inventors
NOUAILLE, Regis • Pessiot, Jeremy
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-11149230-B2
Publication Date
2021-10-19
Expiration Date
Abstract
The process involves extracting carboxylic acids having from one to nine carbons, the carboxylic acids produced by microorganisms in a fermentation reactor by anaerobic fermentation from fermentable biomass. The extraction is a liquid-liquid type, and includes a) choosing an endogenous extraction solvent among at least one of the carboxylic acids, such that the number of carbons of the solvent is greater than or equal to the number of carbons of the carboxylic acid to be extracted,b) bringing the extraction solvent chosen into contact with the fermentation medium, without interrupting the fermentation, outside the fermentation reactor,c) separating (6) the fermentative metabolites from the extraction solvent by at least one distillation, andd) collecting and storing or using the fermentative metabolites obtained in step c). The invention also relates to a facility for carrying out the process.
Core Innovation
The disclosed process directly extracts carboxylic acids having from one to nine carbons from a fermentation medium. The carboxylic acids are produced by a mixture of eukaryotic and prokaryotic microorganisms in a fermentation reactor by anaerobic fermentation of an untreated fermentable biomass, and the extraction is of a liquid-liquid type without significantly lowering pH of the fermentation medium.
The process initiates extraction when production of the carboxylic acids reaches a predefined amount in the fermentation reactor. The predefined amount corresponds to a slowing of growth of the eukaryotic and prokaryotic microorganisms, the slowing lying in a region of microorganism inhibition threshold linked to acidification of the fermentation medium.
An endogenous extraction solvent is selected among carboxylic acids produced during the anaerobic fermentation, with a carbon number greater than or equal to the number of carbons of the carboxylic acids to be extracted. The endogenous extraction solvent has a density below that of water and a boiling point above 70 C under normal pressure conditions.
The endogenous extraction solvent is brought into contact with a portion of fermentation medium from the fermentation reactor containing at least the carboxylic acids outside the fermentation reactor, without halting fermentation inside the fermentation reactor. The carboxylic acids are directly extracted under non-lethal conditions for the microorganisms, separated from the endogenous extraction solvent through at least one distillation, and the obtained carboxylic acids are collected and stored or used.
Claims Coverage
The provided claim content presents one independent claim with dependent refinements. The claim coverage centers on initiating extraction at a predefined production level linked to inhibition and acidification, using an endogenous extraction solvent defined by carbon number, density, and boiling point, performing non-lethal liquid-liquid extraction without significantly lowering pH and without halting fermentation, and recovering the acids by distillation followed by collection, storage, or use.
Liquid-liquid extraction without significant pH lowering during ongoing anaerobic fermentation
A process for directly extracting carboxylic acids having from one to nine carbons produced by a mixture of eukaryotic and prokaryotic microorganisms by anaerobic fermentation of an untreated fermentable biomass, using a liquid-liquid type extraction without significantly lowering pH of a fermentation medium, and without halting fermentation inside the fermentation reactor when contacting the solvent with a portion of fermentation medium outside the fermentation reactor.
Extraction initiation at a predefined production level linked to microorganism inhibition threshold
Initiating the extraction process when production of the carboxylic acids having from one to nine carbons reaches a predefined amount in the fermentation reactor, the predefined amount corresponding to a slowing of growth of the eukaryotic and prokaryotic microorganisms, the slowing of growth lying in a region of microorganism inhibition threshold linked to an acidification of the fermentation medium.
Endogenous extraction solvent selected by carbon-number, density, and boiling point constraints
Choosing an endogenous extraction solvent among carboxylic acids having at least four carbons produced during the anaerobic fermentation of the untreated fermentable biomass such that the number of carbons of the endogenous extraction solvent is greater than or equal to the number of carbons of the carboxylic acids to be extracted, wherein the endogenous extraction solvent has a density below that of water and a boiling point above 70 C under normal pressure conditions.
Non-lethal direct extraction and distillation-based separation with downstream collection or use
Directly extracting the carboxylic acids having from one to nine carbons from the fermentation medium through contact with the endogenous extraction solvent under conditions which are non-lethal for the eukaryotic and prokaryotic microorganisms, separating the carboxylic acids from the endogenous extraction solvent through at least one distillation, and collecting and storing or using the carboxylic acids obtained in the separating step.
Reduced fermentation medium acidification to maintain microorganism activity for continuing fermentation
Wherein directly extracting the carboxylic acids reduces the acidification of the fermentation medium during the anaerobic fermentation, which maintains activity of the eukaryotic and prokaryotic microorganisms in the fermentation reactor for continuing the anaerobic fermentation.
The claim coverage focuses on timing extraction based on a predefined production level linked to microorganism inhibition and acidification, selecting an endogenous extraction solvent using carbon-number, density, and boiling point constraints, performing non-lethal liquid-liquid extraction outside the reactor without significantly lowering pH and without halting fermentation inside the reactor, and recovering the extracted acids via distillation and then collecting, storing, or using them.
Stated Advantages
Directly extracting the carboxylic acids reduces the acidification of the fermentation medium during the anaerobic fermentation.
The reduced acidification maintains activity of the eukaryotic and prokaryotic microorganisms in the fermentation reactor for continuing the anaerobic fermentation.
Documented Applications
No documented applications found
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