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4386159 Method of producing methane
380
PATENT ABSTRACTS
4386159 METHOD
OF PRODUCING METHANE
Masakuni Kanai, Nakano ku, Tokyo to, Japan Methane is produced by fermentation of organic material, wherein the organic material is finely ground to an average particle size of less than 3 ram, mixed with a seed sludge containing bacteria which decomposes the organic material to methane, and the mixture maintained at a temperature which promotes the decomposition of the organic material to methane by the bacteria.
starch, cellobiose, glucose, xylose and other sugars to produce recoverable amounts of ethanol solving the problem of fermentations yielding low concentrations of ethanol using the parent strain of the microorganism Thermoanaerobacter ethanolicus are disclosed. These new derivatives are ethanol tolerant up to 10~o (v/v) ethanol during fermentation. The process includes the use of an aqueous fermentation medium, containing the substrate at a substrate concentration greater than l ~ (w/v).
4384897 METHOD OF TREATING BIOMASS MATERIAL
4385118 FERMENTATION
PROCESS
David L Brink assigned to The Regents of the University of California
Werner Muller, Franklyn D Miller assigned to National Distillers & Chemical Corp An improved process is provided for the continuous fermentation o f sugar to ethanol in a series of fermentation vessels featuring yeast recycle which is independent of the conditions of fermentation occurring in each vessel at a particular point in time. The process facilitates the management of yeast levels in each fermentation vessel so as to provide an optimum overall rate of ethanol production.
4385117 HIGH ETHANOL PRODUCING DERIVATIVES OF THERMOANAEROBACTER ETHANOLICUS Lars Ljungdahl, Laura Carriera assigned to University of Georgia Research Foundation Inc Derivatives of the newly discovered microorganism Thermnanaerobacter ethanolicus which under anaerobic and thermophilic conditions continuously ferment substrates such as
Method of treating biomass material wherein it is subjected to two stage hydrolysis in which in first stage, the more easily hydrolyzed polysaccharides, such as hemicelluloses, are depolymerized and in second stage the more difficultly depolymerizable material, e.g., cellulose, is depolymerized. The biomass material is preferably subjected to a sensitization step between the first and second hydrolyzing stages by contact with molecular oxygen. The resulting hydrolysat¢ and remaining solids are variously treated, including recycling of hydrolysate to first stage hydrolysis; countercurrent or co-current flow of recycled hydrolysate is carried out according to the nature of solids; acid is added at appropriate points, preferably nitric acid to provide nutrients for fermentation or to inhibit corrrosion of equipment; bases such as calcium carbonate or hydroxide are added to neutralize hydolysate for fermentation; wet oxidation and methanation are carried out to solubilize refractory solids (wet oxidation) and to produce methane (mcthanation); and ferric and]rr aluminum ions are added to flocculate solids in the hydrolysate and such ions are recovered and resolubilized by wet oxidation and are routed to the hydrolysis stages to function as catalysts.
PATENT ABSTRACTS
4386159 METHOD
OF PRODUCING METHANE
Masakuni Kanai, Nakano ku, Tokyo to, Japan Methane is produced by fermentation of organic material, wherein the organic material is finely ground to an average particle size of less than 3 ram, mixed with a seed sludge containing bacteria which decomposes the organic material to methane, and the mixture maintained at a temperature which promotes the decomposition of the organic material to methane by the bacteria.
starch, cellobiose, glucose, xylose and other sugars to produce recoverable amounts of ethanol solving the problem of fermentations yielding low concentrations of ethanol using the parent strain of the microorganism Thermoanaerobacter ethanolicus are disclosed. These new derivatives are ethanol tolerant up to 10~o (v/v) ethanol during fermentation. The process includes the use of an aqueous fermentation medium, containing the substrate at a substrate concentration greater than l ~ (w/v).
4384897 METHOD OF TREATING BIOMASS MATERIAL
4385118 FERMENTATION
PROCESS
David L Brink assigned to The Regents of the University of California
Werner Muller, Franklyn D Miller assigned to National Distillers & Chemical Corp An improved process is provided for the continuous fermentation o f sugar to ethanol in a series of fermentation vessels featuring yeast recycle which is independent of the conditions of fermentation occurring in each vessel at a particular point in time. The process facilitates the management of yeast levels in each fermentation vessel so as to provide an optimum overall rate of ethanol production.
4385117 HIGH ETHANOL PRODUCING DERIVATIVES OF THERMOANAEROBACTER ETHANOLICUS Lars Ljungdahl, Laura Carriera assigned to University of Georgia Research Foundation Inc Derivatives of the newly discovered microorganism Thermnanaerobacter ethanolicus which under anaerobic and thermophilic conditions continuously ferment substrates such as
Method of treating biomass material wherein it is subjected to two stage hydrolysis in which in first stage, the more easily hydrolyzed polysaccharides, such as hemicelluloses, are depolymerized and in second stage the more difficultly depolymerizable material, e.g., cellulose, is depolymerized. The biomass material is preferably subjected to a sensitization step between the first and second hydrolyzing stages by contact with molecular oxygen. The resulting hydrolysat¢ and remaining solids are variously treated, including recycling of hydrolysate to first stage hydrolysis; countercurrent or co-current flow of recycled hydrolysate is carried out according to the nature of solids; acid is added at appropriate points, preferably nitric acid to provide nutrients for fermentation or to inhibit corrrosion of equipment; bases such as calcium carbonate or hydroxide are added to neutralize hydolysate for fermentation; wet oxidation and methanation are carried out to solubilize refractory solids (wet oxidation) and to produce methane (mcthanation); and ferric and]rr aluminum ions are added to flocculate solids in the hydrolysate and such ions are recovered and resolubilized by wet oxidation and are routed to the hydrolysis stages to function as catalysts.