Syngas fermentation

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Syngas fermentation, also known as synthesis gas fermentation, is a microbial process. In this process, a mixture of hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide, known as syngas, is used as carbon and energy sources, and then converted into fuel and chemicals by microorganisms[1]. The main products of syngas fermentation include ethanol, butanol, acetic acid, butyric acid, and methane[2].

There are several microorganisms which can produce fuels and chemicals by syngas utilization. These microorganisms are mostly known as acetogens including Clostridium ljungdahlii[3], Clostridium autoethanogenum[4], Eurobacterium limosum[5], Clostridium carboxidivorans P7[6], Peptostreptococcus products[7], and Butyribacterium methylotrophicum[8].

Syngas fermentation process has advantages over a chemical process since it takes places at lower temperature and pressure, has higher reaction specificity, tolerates higher amounts of sulfur compounds, and does not require a specific CO:H2[2]. On the other hand, syngas fermentation has limitations such as:

[edit] Footnotes

  1. ^ a b (Brown, 2003)
  2. ^ a b c Worden, R.M., Bredwell, M.D., and Grethlein, A.J. (1997). Engineering issues in synthesis gas fermentations, Fuels and Chemicals from Biomass. Washington, DC: American Chemical Society, 321-335
  3. ^ Klasson, K.T., Ackerson, M. D., Clausen, E. C., and Gaddy, J.L. (1992). Bioconversion of synthesis gas into liquid or gaseous fuels. Enzyme and Microbial Technology, 14(8), 602-608.
  4. ^ Abrini, J., Naveau, H., and Nyns, E.J. (1994). Clostridium autoethanogenum, Sp-Nov, an Anaerobic bacterium that produces ethanol from carbon monoxide. Archives of Microbiology, 161(4), 345-351.">
  5. ^ Chang, I. S., Kim, B. H., Lovitt, R. W., and Bang, J. S. (2001). Effect of CO partial pressure on cell-recycled continuous CO fermentation by Eurobacterium limosum KIST612. Process Biochemistry, 37(4), 411-421..
  6. ^ Ahmed, A, and Lewis, R.S. (2007). Fermentation of biomass generated syngas:Effect of nitric oxide. Biotechnology and Bioengineering, 97(5), 1080-1086.
  7. ^ Misoph, M., and Drake, H.L. (1996). Effect of CO2 on the fermentation capacities of the acetogen Peptostreptococus products U-1. Journal of Bacteriology, 178(11), 3140-3145.
  8. ^ a b Henstra, A.M., Sipma, J., Reinzma, A., and Stams, A.J.M. (2007). Microbiology of synthesis gas fermentation for biofuel production. Current Opinion in Biotechnology, 18(3), 200-206

[edit] References

  • Brown, Robert F. (2003). Biorenewable resources: engineering new products from agriculture. Ames, Iowa: Iowa State Press. ISBN 0-8138-2263-7. 
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