Patent ID: 9249431
Filing Date: 2016-02-02
CPC Classification: C12N,C12P,Y02E

Claim Text:
1. A process for producing butanol, comprising: (i) culturing a micro-organism in a culture medium in a culture vessel, wherein the micro-organism is one which is capable of producing butyrate and butanol, wherein the micro-organism is a biphasic solvent-producing (ii) transferring a first portion of butyric acid or acid derivatives thereof which are produced in the culture vessel to a separate compartment, wherein the acid derivatives thereof are selected from the group consisting of metal salts of butyric acid, non-metal salts of butyric acid, butyric acid esters and butyramide; (iii) introducing a second portion of the butyric acid or acid derivatives obtained from the separate compartment into the culture vessel; and (iv) harvesting butanol from the culture vessel; wherein the butyric acid or acid derivatives are reintroduced into the culture vessel at a rate which maintains a constant or substantially constant pH in the culture vessel, or wherein the butyric acid or acid derivatives are reintroduced into the culture vessel during an exponential growth phase in order to slow the growth of the micro-organism and/or to induce the onset of the solventogenic phase of the biphasic micro-organism, wherein the culture vessel is the first compartment of an electrochemical reactor, wherein step (ii) comprises applying a direct current electric field across the electrochemical reactor with an anode and cathode, wherein the electrodes which are used to apply the electric field are separated from the culture medium such that any micro-organisms in the culture medium do not come into contact with said electrodes, wherein the electrochemical reactor further comprises a second compartment which is placed between the first compartment and the anode and is separated from the first compartment by an anion-selective membrane, wherein anions in the first compartment are drawn through the anion-selective membrane by the electric field into the second compartment, from which they may be removed as acid or acid derivatives thereof; and wherein step (iii) comprises introducing a second portion of the acid or acid derivatives obtained from the second compartment into the culture vessel.