Butanol Production from Biomass

Abstract

Fossil fuels are a very important source of energy in today's world. They are currently the most economically available source of power for both personal and commercial use. During the combustion of fossil fuels, various emissions and particulates are released into the atmosphere. They contribute to the formation of acid rain that can seriously harm the environment, as well as greenhouse effect which is considered a key factor in global warming. Potential solution of various problems caused by fossil fuels is the use of renewable energy. Production of ethanol as an alternative fuel is already undergoing a massive expansion in US; however another interesting biofuel is getting attention -- butanol. During the fermentation process in a well equipped bioreactor, microorganisms consume the biomass converting it to butanol as a main product of the reaction. Amongst various types of biomass that can be used, cellulosic material represents a commonly-available and cost-effective choice especially due to being a renewable energy source that does not harm the environment or jeopardize world food sources. The fermentation process in this study was performed in a small-scale (7L) BIOFLO 110 bioreactor in an atmosphere of 85% N2, 5% H2 and 10% CO2. The bacterium used was Clostridium beijerinckii ATCC 35702, which was grown in a media comprised of a mixture of many chemicals, including corn syrup as a major food source. Samples from the fermenting solution were taken in various stages of the process to allow cell counting which indicates the metabolic action of the bacteria. The objective of this research is to produce butanol and examine butanol potentials from abovementioned bacterium strain.