Lignocellulosic residues provide structural carbohydrates and other plant cell wall biopolymers that can be upgraded to biofuels or high-value chemicals through biochemical processes. Fuel ethanol from corn, and to a lesser extent from lignocellulosic sources, has been able to reduce liquid fuel utilization from petroleum sources and encourage economic development in rural areas of the United States. However, integrated biorefineries converting lignocellulosic residues to desired bio-based fuels or chemicals must be economically advantageous compared to petroleum refineries by utilizing economies of scale or producing higher value fuels or chemicals compared to ethanol. Butyric acid is a well-known product of anaerobic fermentation by multiple microbial strains and has applications as a food or cosmetic additive or can be upgraded to the advanced biofuel butanol. This research investigated the generation of butyric acid by cultivating Clostridium tyrobutyricum on fermentable sugars obtained from pretreated sweet sorghum bagasse. Hydrolysates containing sugars from sweet sorghum bagasse could support growth of C. tyrobutyricum, but fermentation titers were higher in detoxified media. Batch fermentation experiments without pH control produced up to 11.38 g/L butyric acid and a maximum butyric acid selectivity of 87%. Bioreactor studies coupled with pH control allowed C. tyrobutyricum to ferment longer and to higher butyric acid titers. Further research will look to ferment butanol from butyric acid by implementing a co-culture fermentation process.

Butyric acid fermentation by Clostridium tyrobutyricum cultivated on pretreated sweet sorghum bagasse

Macromolecular Chemistry: The Second Century

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ACS Spring 2020 National Meeting & Expo

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.