GB437121A - Improvements in or relating to processes of producing butyl alcohol - Google Patents

Abstract

Acetone, butyl alcohol, and ethyl alcohol are produced by bacterial fermentation of a mash containing soluble carbohydrate as the principal fermentable carbohydrate, and degraded protein nitrogen (including ammonia) by means of bacteria of the group Clostridium saccharoacetobutylicum, a full description of which is given, at 24--40 DEG C. while controlling the acidity during the process so that the final product is of pH 5--6,2. This final condition may be obtained by adding calcium, barium or iron carbonate or other non-toxic insoluble base in quantity 5--7 per cent of the weight of the sugar in excess of that required to neutralize any initial acidity. The bacteria may be isolated from soil, rotted wood, grain, corn stalks, river mud and the like by known methods. In an example, a large number of flasks of a cane molasses medium are sterilized and inoculated with the bacteria source, preferably from a field in which a carbohydrate crop has been grown and kept at 80--90 DEG C. for a few minutes, then cooled to 30--32 DEG C. and incubated for 5 days. The best cultures are used to inoculate a number of test-tubes containing 20 per cent sterile potato mash, the tubes being then heated for 1,5 minutes at 95--100 DEG C., cooled to 30--32 DEG C. and incubated for 4--5 days. From the best samples material is transferred to dilution plates containing a solid agar medium and incubated anaerobically preferably in carbon dioxide. After 72 hours those colonies which are raised, opalescent to opaque, cream-coloured and with rounded edges, are selected to inoculate similar potato mash tubes which are kept at 30--32 DEG C. for 5 days, and from these tubes molasses mash is inoculated, heat-shocked, and transferred to other molasses mash, several such transfers being effected, and the cultures which show 29--38 per cent yields of solvents of which more than 64 per cent is butyl alcohol and more than 18 per cent acetone are chosen. Examples are given of the fermentation of molasses mashes containing about 5 per cent cane sugar, 0,3 per cent ammonium sulphate and 0,4 per cent calcite, and a mash containing 90 per cent of distillery slop (from fermentation of 7,5 per cent corn mash by Clostridium acetobutylicum Weizmann, neutralized with soda to pH 6). Specification 415,311 is referred to.ALSO:Acetone, butyl alcohol, and ethyl alcohol are produced by bacterial fermentation of a mash containing soluble carbohydrate as the principal fermentable carbohydrate, and degraded protein nitrogen (including ammonia) by means of bacteria of the group Clostridium saccharo-acetobutylicum, a full description of which is given, at 24-40 DEG C., while controlling the acidity during the process so that the final product is of pH 5-6,2. This final condition may be obtained by adding calcium barium or iron carbonate or other non-toxic insoluble base in quantity 5-7 per cent of the weight of the sugar in excess of that required to neutralize any initial acidity. The bacteria may be isolated from soil, rotted wood, grain, corn stalks, river mud and the like by known methods. In an example, a large number of flasks of a cane molasses medium are sterilized and inoculated with the bacteria source, preferably from a field in which a carbohydrate crop has been grown, and kept at 80-90 DEG C., for a few minutes, then cooled to 30-32 DEG C., and incubated for 5 days. The best cultures are used to inoculate a number of test tubes containing 20 per cent sterile potato mash, the tubes being then heated for 1,5 minutes at 75-100 DEG C., cooled to 30-32 DEG C., and incubated for 4-5 days. From the best samples material is transferred to dilution plates containing a solid agar medium and incubated anaerobically preferably in carbon dioxide. After 72 hours those colonies which are raised, opalescent to opaque, cream-coloured and with rounded edges, are selected to inoculate similar potato mash tubes which are kept at 30-32 DEG C. for 5 days, and from these tubes molasses mash is inoculated, heat-shocked, and transferred to other molasses mash, several such transfers being effected, and the cultures which show 29-38 per cent yields of solvents of which more than 64 per cent is butyl alcohol and more than 18 per cent acetone are chosen. Examples are given of the fermentation of molasses mashes containing about 5 per cent cane sugar 0.3 per cent ammonium sulphate and 0,4 per cent calcite, and a mash containing 90 per cent of distillery slop (from fermentation of 7,5 per cent corn mash by Clostridium acetobutylicum Weizmann, neutralized with soda to pH6). Specification 415,311 is referred to.