Solventogenesis in Clostridium aceticum producing high concentrations of ethanol from syngas

Abstract

The ethanol production capability of Clostridium aceticum was investigated and optimized, in order to evaluate the ability of that organism to produce high concentrations of fuel-ethanol. The results showed that C. aceticum can produce significant amounts of ethanol when a natural pH drop occurs in the fermentation broth as a consequence of acetic acid production in a first stage. Applying different pH-regulating strategies allowed to optimize ethanol production, which proved to be more efficient in case of natural acidification due to acetic acid, reaching up to 5.6 g/L ethanol, compared to artificial pH adjustment through the addition of hydrogen chloride. Playing with the pH value and the bioreactor operating conditions showed that, under specific conditions, C. aceticum is able to perform the reverse reaction as well and convert ethanol, produced at low pH, back to acetic acid, impeding, under those specific conditions, further accumulation of ethanol in the fermentation broth.

Keywords: Acetogen; Bioethanol; Biofuel; Clostridia; Syngas.