PREVENTION OF BACTERIAL GROWTH IN FERMENTATION PROCESSES

摘要

A fermentation process for the production of ethanol from natural sources, such as corn, comprising introducing a fermentable sugar, an inoculant, and a stabilized chlorine dioxide into a fermentation system is disclosed. The stabilized chlorine dioxide is added preventatively to the fermentation system, at concentrations in the fermentation system of acetic acid no greater than 0.30% (weight/volume) and lactic acid no greater than 0.60% (weight/volume). The stabilized chlorine dioxide is added in an amount effective to substantially prevent growth of bacteria.

主权项

1. A non-remedial process to substantially prevent growth of a suspended non-biofilm bacterial infection bacteria in a fermentation process performed in a batch or continuous fermentation system, the fermentation system comprising a fermentation tank, vessel, reactor or piping, and the fermentation process comprising introducing a fermentable sugar, a yeast inoculant and a stabilized chlorine dioxide into the fermentation system;
wherein the yeast inoculant converts the sugar to ethanol and carbon dioxide; wherein the stabilized chlorine dioxide is introduced before or simultaneously with the fermentable sugar and/or the yeast inoculant and prior to having concentrations in the fermentation system of acetic acid no greater than 0.30% (weight/volume) and lactic acid no greater than 0.60% (weight/volume); wherein the acetic acid and lactic acid are by-products of the bacterial infection; wherein the amount of stabilized chlorine dioxide added is from about 0.0001 to about 5% (10 ppm to about 50,000 ppm), based on the total weight of the contents of the fermentation system; and wherein the stabilized chlorine dioxide is activated by in situ acid production with substantially no adverse effect on the yeast inoculant or ethanol yield.