Patent GB-415311-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to the production of butyl alcohol and acetone by fermentation
IPC: C12P7/28
Filed: 1933-12-27
Abstract: Acetone and butyl alcohol are produced by fermentation of carbohydrate mashes with organisms of a group named Clostridium saccharo-acetobutylicum and having characteristics outlined in the Specification, particularly (a) ability to produce high yields from mashes of simple sugars; (b) inability to produce high yields from cereal meal mashes; (c) inability to reduce nitrates, to liquefy gelatin, or to ferment glycerol.  A sub-group especially suitable is named Clostridium saccharoacetobutylicum a  and is described in detail.  The mashes fermented comprise mono- and di-saccharides such as glucose, levulose, maltose, sucrose, or crude commercial products such as cane molasses, beet molasses, or hydrol, with or without materials such as dextrin or grain mashes and with or without nitrogenous nutrients.  The yield comprises about 68--73 per cent of butyl alcohol, 26--32 per cent of acetone, and 1--3 per cent of ethyl alcohol.  The mashes are maintained at 24--40 DEG  C. and at about pH7.  Examples: (1) a sterilized 7 per cent molasses mash is inoculated with about 3,5 per cent by volume of a second generation culture of Clostridium saccharoacetobutylicum and maintained at 28 DEG  C.; the yield of solvents is 5,91 grams per litre; (2) a sterilized mash containing 3,35 per cent sugar as Cuban molasses, 0,27 per cent gluten meal, and 0,27 per cent of ammonium sulphate, adjusted to pH 5,73, is inoculated with Clostridium saccharo-acetobutylicum a  and maintained at 30 DEG  C. for 72 hours; the yield comprises 7,83 gms. per litre (22,4 per cent of sugar employed), and contains 72,9 per cent butyl alcohol, 22,8 per cent acetone, and 4,3 per cent ethyl alcohol.ALSO:Butyl alcohol and acetone are produced by fermentation of carbohydrate mashes with organisms of a group named Clostridrium saccharoacetobutylicum and having characteristics outlined in the Specification, particularly (a) ability to produce high yields from mashes of simple sugars, (b) inability to produce high yields from cereal meal mashes, (c) inability to reduce nitrates, to liquefy gelatin, or, to ferment glycerol.  A subgroup especially suitable is named Clostridium saccharoacetobutylicum a  and is described in detail.  The mashes fermented comprise mono and di-saccharides such as glucose, l vulose, maltose, sucrose, or crude commercial products such as cane molasses, beet molasses, or hydrol, with or without materials such as dextrin or grain mashes and with or without nitrogenous nutrients.  The yield comprises about 68-73 per cent of butyl alcohol, 26-32 per cent of acetone, and 1-3 per cent of ethyl alcohol.  The mashes are maintained at 24-40 DEG  C. and at about pH7.  Examples:-(i) a sterilized 7 per cent molasses mash is inoculated with about 3,5 per cent by volume of a second generation culture of Clostridium saccharo-aceto butylicum and maintained at 28 DEG  C.; the yield of solvents is 5,91 grams per litre; (2) a sterilized mash containing 3,35 per cent sugar as Cuban molasses, 0,27 per cent gluten meal, and 0,27 per cent of ammonium sulphate, adjusted to pH 5,73, is inoculated with Clostridium saccharo-aceto butylicum a  and maintained at 30 DEG  C. for 72 hours; the yield comprises 7,83 gms. per litre, (22.4 per cent of sugar employed), and contains 72,9 per cent butyl alcohol, 22,8 per cent acetone, and 4,3 per cent ethyl alcohol.  Bacteria, cultivating.-The organisms employed as obtainable from soil, rotted wood, grain, corn stalks &c., for example as follows:-Winogradsky's medium is inoculated with pasteurized soil extracts, incubated at 28 DEG  C., and when actively fermenting, transferred to tubes of the same medium and the pasteurization and incubation repeated several times.  Transfers are then made to a liquid medium containing crystal violet (1 : 50000 to 1 : 100,000) to eliminate aerobic organisms.  The cultures are then plated in glucose-beef-peptone-agar, incubated anaerobically at 28 DEG  C., and deep colonies selected and repeated several times, solvent-production tests being employed to assist selection.