Improvement of ethanol fermentation under hyperbaric conditions.
Recently more and more interest is manifested in the utilization of high-pressure extraction using supercritical gases for the purification of products in biochemical processes. Some researchers have examined the possibility of circulating continuously a supercritical gas through the fermentor, under hyperbaric pressure, to recover the desired product while the fermentation is taking place. However, an earlier study has demonstrated that fermentation with baker's yeast was inhibited by a long exposure under hyperbaric pressure. This article is concerned with the improvement of ethanol production under hyperbaric pressure in view of the development of an integrated fermentation-extraction process where supercritical carbon dioxide would be used for the in situ recovery of ethanol. The selection of the best yeast strain and operation under cyclic pressures are considered.
L'Italien
Y
Y
Department of Chemical Engineering, Laval University, Sainte-Foy, Quebec, Canada G1K 7P4.
Thibault
J
J
LeDuy
A
A