US EPA

1462546 

Journal Article 

Integrated bioprocess for long-term continuous cultivation of Clostridium acetobutylicum coupled to pervaporation with PDMS composite membranes 

Van Hecke, W; Vandezande, P; Claes, S; Vangeel, S; Beckers, H; Diels, L; De Wever, H 

2012 

Yes 

Bioresource Technology
ISSN: 0960-8524
EISSN: 1873-2976 

111 

368-377 

English 

22406098 

10.1016/j.biortech.2012.02.043 

WOS:000302979100051 

A continuous cultivation of Clostridium acetobutylicum ATCC 824 is described using a two-stage design to mimic the two phases of batch culture growth of the organism. A hydrophobic pervaporation unit was coupled to the second fermentor containing the highest solvent titers. This in situ product recovery technology efficiently decreased butanol toxicity in the fermentor while the permeate was enriched to 57-195 g L(-1) total solvents depending on the solvent concentrations in the fermentor. By the alleviation of product inhibition, the glucose concentration could be increased from 60 to 126 g L(-1) while the productivity increased concomitantly from 0.13 to 0.30 g L(-1)h(-1). The continuous fermentation was conducted for 1172 h during which the pervaporation was coupled to the second fermentor for 475 h with an average flux of 367 g m(-2)h(-1). The energy consumption was calculated for a 2 wt.% n-butanol fermentation broth and compared with the conventional process. 

Hydrophobic pervaporation; Continuous fermentation; Clostridium acetobutylicum ATCC 824; Two-stage process; In situ product recovery