Bacteria based cellulosic ethanol fermentation process
View Patent ↗A process for the creation of ethanol from cellulosic materials using the bacteria Cellulomonas sp. and aerobic Zymomonas mobilis in the same medium under the same conditions to breakdown cellulosic materials into glucose and to ferment that glucose into ethanol and three significant byproducts, glycerol, acetic acid, and lactic acid.
1. A process for the production of ethanol and other fermentation products from cellulosic materials comprising: fermenting cellulose in a fermentation medium containing both the bacteria Cellulomonas sp. and aerobic Zymomonas mobilis in which the fermentation medium is water based, and the range for cellulose processed as a weight/volume percentage of water used is from about 0.025% to about 1.0%.
2. The process of claim 1 in which the weight/volume percentage of cellulose in water is about 0.5%.
3. The process of claim 1 in which the fermentation media includes yeast extract.
4. The process of claim 3 in which the weight ratio of cellulose to yeast extract in the fermentation media is from about 1:40 to about 2:1.
5. The process of claim 4 in which the weight ratio of cellulose to yeast extract in the fermentation media is about 1:2.
6. The process of claim 4 in which Cellulomonas and aerobic Zymomonas are initially introduced into the fermentation medium at about 1 ml of bacteria containing growth media per 25 to 50 ml of fermentation medium.
7. The process of claim 4 which is made continuous by drawing off fermentation medium as ethanol is produced and dissolved into it, and replacing it with fresh fermentation medium and cellulose to be processed.
8. The process of claim 7 in which filters are used to minimize the loss of bacteria as water, ethanol and other soluble ingredients are drawn off, such that the need for fresh addition of bacteria is minimized.
9. The process of claim 8 in which the concentration of ethanol in the medium is maintained at level of about 10% in the fermenter where the cellulose being processed is located, with fresh water, soluble nutrients and additional cellulose being added as ethanol laden water is removed.
10. The process of claim 1 which is made continuous by drawing off fermentation medium as ethanol is produced and dissolved into it, and replacing it with fresh fermentation medium and cellulose to be processed.
11. The process of claim 10 in which filters are used to minimize the loss of bacteria as water, ethanol and other soluble ingredients are drawn off, such that the need for fresh addition of bacteria is minimized.
12. The process of claim 11 in which the concentration of ethanol in the medium is maintained at level of about 10% in the fermenter where the cellulose being processed is located, with fresh water, soluble nutrients and additional cellulose being added as ethanol laden water is removed.
13. A process for the production of ethanol and other fermentation products from cellulosic materials comprising: fermenting cellulose in water based fermentation medium containing yeast extract and both the bacteria Cellulomonas sp. and aerobic Zymomonas mobile, where the amount of cellulose processed as a weight/volume percentage of water used is about 0.5%, and the weight ratio of cellulose to yeast extract in the fermentation media is about 1:2.
14. The process of claim 13 in which Cellulomonas and aerobic Zymomonas are initially introduced into the fermentation medium at about 1 ml of bacteria containing growth media per 25 to 50 ml of fermentation medium.