title: Influence of high biomass concentrations on alkane solubilities.
abstract: Alkane solubilities were measured experimentally for high-density biomass. The resulting Henry's law constants for propane were found to decrease significantly for both dense yeast suspensions and an actual propane-degrading biofilm consortium. At the biomass densities of a typical biofilm, propane solubility was about an order of magnitude greater than that in pure water. For example, a dense biofilm had a propane Henry's law constant of 0.09+/-0.04 atm m(3) mol(-1) compared to 0.6+/-0.1 atm m(3) mol(-1) measured in pure water. The results were modeled with mixing rules and compared with octanol-water mixtures. Hydrogels (agar) and salts decreased the alkane solubility. By considering a theoretical solubility of propane in dry biomass, estimates were made of intrinsic Henry's law constants for propane in pure yeast and biomass, which were 13+/-2 and 5+/-2 atm kg biomass mol(-1) for yeast and biofilm consortium, respectively.
authors.affiliation: Chemical Technology Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, P.O. Box 2008, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831-6226, USA. davisonbh@ornl.gov
authors.forename: B H
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Davison
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Barton
authors.forename: K T
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Klasson
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Francisco
mesh_terms: D000362:Agar / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D000473:Alkanes / Q000737:chemistry*; D019149:Bioreactors; D001709:Biotechnology / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D005374:Filtration / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D000442:Octanols / Q000737:chemistry; D011407:Propane / Q000737:chemistry; D012995:Solubility; D014867:Water; D015003:Yeasts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000473:Alkanes; D000442:Octanols; D014867:Water; D000362:Agar; D011407:Propane