| 摘要 |
<p>A process for producing butanol is disclosed comprising culturing a butyric acid-producing micro-organism in a culture vessel, transferring a portion of the butyric acid produced in the culture vessel to a separate compartment, reintroducing a portion of the acids from the second compartment into the culture vessel, and harvesting butanol from the culture vessel. The method can be used to produce other alcohols of formula R-CHOH where R is C3 to C7. The method may also be used to produce butyric acid. The butyric acid may be removed by anion exchange resins, precipitation or using an electrochemical reactor. The micro-organisms may include bacteria or fungi, especially Clostridium acetobutylicum. Also claimed is a process for producing butyric acid (or other C3-C7 acids) using an electrochemical reactor, the process comprising culturing a micro-organism, and transferring butyrate anions which are produced in the culture vessel to a separate compartment through an anion-selective membrane.</p> |
