Process for producing isopropyl alcohol from cellulosic substrates

摘要

A process for producing isopropyl alcohol and useful by-products from cellulosic substrates without utilizing toxic acids. This process comprises the steps of: (1) digesting cellulosic substrates in a heated solution of sodium carbonate; (2) digesting the cellulosic product of step (1) in a heated solution containing isopropyl alcohol or aluminum isopropylate together with sodium acetate and optionally, acetic acid, to produce a biomass and a black liquid of saturated acyclic hydrocarbons; (3) mixing the biomass of step (2) with amylolytic enzymes or with xylophagous bacteria to initiate fermentation of the biomass; (4) adding the black liquid of step (2) together with basic aluminate acetate and a mixture of formaldehyde and phenol or sulfonated phenol to the mixture of step (3) and heating the resulting mixture to a temperature ranging between 120 DEG to 160 DEG C. under a pressure ranging between 1.5 and 45 kg/cm2 until isopropyl alcohol is produced.