title: Effect of biodiesel glycerol type and fermentor configuration on mixed-acid fermentations.
abstract: The MixAlco process biologically converts biomass to carboxylate salts that may be converted to a variety of chemicals and fuels. This study examines the viability of different types of glycerol as a potential feedstock. Batch fermentations of crude biodiesel glycerol were compared to distilled and refined glycerol. Continuous fermentations were performed in a CSTR and a packed-bed fermentor with refined glycerol. While crude and distilled glycerol are difficult to process industrially, all types of glycerol performed well during MixAlco fermentations, producing acid concentrations above 22 g/L and conversions of greater than 65%. The CSTR configuration produced excellent acid concentrations (16 g/L) while the packed-bed configuration produced high amounts of cell material for use in cell extract products or starter cultures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States. akf5219@chemail.tamu.edu
authors.forename: Andrea K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Forrest
authors.forename: Rocio
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sierra
authors.forename: Mark T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Holtzapple
mesh_terms: D056804:Biofuels / Q000032:analysis*; D019149:Bioreactors; D001709:Biotechnology / Q000295:instrumentation*; D002264:Carboxylic Acids / Q000032:analysis; D005285:Fermentation / Q000502:physiology*; D005990:Glycerol / Q000737:chemistry*; D007700:Kinetics
chemical_list: D056804:Biofuels; D002264:Carboxylic Acids; D005990:Glycerol