Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Fig. 10.18
Acetone-butanol fermentation from straw
According to research, I developed a new technical route for the corn stover
refining industry. Specifically, the hemicellulose and pith cells are used as substrates
for butanol production; the fiber cells are applied in the material industry, and the
lignin is converted to high-value lignin-derived products. The industrial equipment
in this process have been designed and assembled in a pilot plant in China's Jilin
Province; production capacity is 600 t of butanol per year. It has been successfully
enlarged to 50,000 t of butanol per year with coproduction of ethanol, acetone,
polyether polyols, and pulp. This process will provide a new industrial way for
low-cost bio-butanol production from corn stover (Figs.
10.17
,
10.18
,
10.19
,
10.20
,
10.21
, and
10.22
).
Key technologies for butanol production from steam-exploded cornstalk with
independent intellectual property rights were achieved in this project. The main
achievements are as follows [
34
-
44
]:
①
The industrial technology system of butanol production from steam-exploded
cornstalk was established for the first time at home and abroad; it had achieved
large-scale production and established the independent processing device.
②
The method of nutritional balance of medium instead of the synthetic medium
was invented in which the main carbon source was hydrolyzed into sugars from
straw and supplemented by corn leaching solution and starch milk. The medium
could avoid the high cost and nutritional imbalance caused by the basic mixture
of xylose and glucose.
③
The new technology system of butanol production from steam-exploded corn
stover was established in which not only the hydrolysate of hemicellulose was
fermented to acetone-butanol but also furfural and organic acids were produced,
and the recycling of inorganic acids was achieved.
