In recent years economic, environmental, and strategic concerns over the use of petroleum resources have led to increased interest in renewable resources. Biomass gasification produces a synthesis gas composed of primarily carbon monoxide, hydrogen, and carbon dioxide, which can be fermented into a variety of fuels and chemicals. This study evaluated the performance of a two-stage approach to batch synthesis gas fermentations. The first stage employs a rich medium optimized for cell growth, while the second stage is designed to maximize production of acetic acid from synthesis gas. This two-stage approach is hypothesized to be more metabolically efficient than previous single-stage designs. This study presents the evaluation of known acetic acid producing organisms described in the literature, and efforts to isolate a novel microbial catalyst for synthesis gas fermentations. Finally, new techniques were developed and implemented in order to develop a more effective system for batch synthesis gas fermentations.

Liquid extraction is a means of separating two or more components of a solution. The process involves mixing the solution with an immiscible solvent, separating the two phases, and recovery of the desired materials and of solvent from the solvent phase, usually by distillation. Separation is accomplished if certain of the solution components are more soluble in the extracting solvent employed than in the feed solution. Liquid extraction is used to concentrate aqueous solutions of acetic acid produced in the esterification of cellulose and in other manufacturing processes because acetic acid and water are not easily separated by direct rectification. Liquid extraction of acetic acid must always be followed by solvent-recovery systems. Then the selection of solvents suitable for extraction of acetic acid must be based not only on the relative affinity of the solvents for acetic acid but also on consideration of heat and other energy requirements of the extraction and solvent recovery systems. The purpose of this investigation was to develop a method of evaluating solvent extraction systems for the recovery of acetic acid from aqueous liquors, by comparisons of selected solvent systems on the basis of: (a) theoretical transfer units required for extraction, (b) in the case of solvents boiling below 100 °C, theoretical plates required for distillation of extracts, and (c) heat required for recovery of pure acetic acid and of solvent. / Master of Science

The tannin extract industry disposes of large volumes of condensate liquors evolved during concentration of weak leach liquors obtained by extraction of wood chips. The liquors are highly corrosive due to acetic acid contained therein along with lesser quantities of other organic substances common to woody materials. Recovery of the acetic acid would be desirable from two standpoints: (1) the value of the acetic acid, and (2) reuse of the acid-free condensate in the manufacturing process. The purpose of this investigation was to recover acetic acid from the wastes of tannin extract manufacture. An ion exchange process was given primary consideration to accomplish the recovery by adsorption of the acetic acid from the waste liquor with subsequent elution of the acid from the ion exchange material by use of stronger acid. Tests were conducted using De-Acidite, a synthetic aliphatic amine anion exchange resin produced by the Permutit Company, New York, N.Y.. For all tests 200 ml. of resin were used at temperatures within 20-30°C. A total acid-binding capacity of 19,700 grains CaCO₃/ft.³ was found when De-Acidite was exposed to 0.5 percent acetic acid in batch operation. Optimum rate of flow determinations in column operation within the range of 1 to 5 gal./ft.²/min. were conducted. Variations of flow rates between these limits failed to produce substantial differences in breakthrough capacities. To prepare the De-Acidite bed in the ion exchange column between runs regeneration was effected with 1 percent sodium hydroxide. Rinse was by downflow operation until data was obtained which indicated its unsuitability; thereafter backwash rinse was used and found more satisfactory. The waste liquor used in the investigation was obtained from the 2nd and 3rd effects of a triple effect evaporator employed in the Mead Corporation Plant at Lynchburg, Virginia. Successive exposures of De-Acidite to the waste liquor resulted in sharp reduction of breakthrough capacity, discoloration of the De-Acidite, and deterioration of the resin with the formation of fines. It was found that the extremely small quantities of tannin present in the waste liquor were the cause of the rapid depreciation of the De-Acidite. / M.S.

1. Improved methods for carrying out the reaction between sodium and acetic anhydride have been presented. Separation of reaction products and quantitative determination have been made easier by means of the improvements. 2. The only products isolated from either room-temperature or high-temperature runs have been sodium acetate and a resinous material believed to be a polymer of diacetyl. No diacetyl has been isolated from the original products of any reaction. 3. Comparison has been made between reactions at room temperature and runs made at high temperatures. Room temperature reactions have been found to give the same products as high-temperature runs but in much smaller amounts. 4. Theoretical discussion of the reaction is presented. A possible mechanism for formation of the resin are proposed. 5. Suggestions for future study of the problem are given. / M.S.

The purpose of this study is to determine the specific reaction or velocity constants and the equilibrium constant in a system of methyl alcohol and acetic acid, a bimolecular reaction of the second order.

No / The performance of batch reactive distillation process involving the esterification of acetic acid with methanol to produce methyl acetate and water is considered in this work. Two cases studies with varying amount of the reactants are considered. The reflux ratio (single time interval) is selected as the control variable to be optimised (treated as piecewise constant) for different but fixed batch time ranging from 5 to 15 h, so as to maximise the conversion of methanol subject to product purity of methyl acetate. The dynamic optimisation problem is converted to a nonlinear programming problem by Control Vector Parameterization (CVP) technique and is solved by using efficient SQP method. The optimisation results show that as the methanol and methyl acetate are wide boiling, the separation of methyl acetate is easier without losing much of methanol reactant. The conversion improves by 6.4 % due to sufficient amount of acetic acid being reacted with methanol. Moreover an excess of acetic acid leads to high operation temperature and therefore high reflux operation (to reduce loss of methanol from the top of the column) to maximise the conversion.

Zymomonas mobilis is one of the most promising microorganisms for bioethanol production. However, its practical use on industrial scale is impeded by its high sensitivity to acetate, which is present in high concentration in pretreated biomass. This research develops an adaptive mutation method for generating acetate-tolerant strains for bioethanol production. The goal is to obtain Zymomonas mobilis strain capable of growing and producing ethanol in the presence of acetate at a concentration typical of a pretreated biomass (2-3%). The interplay between the ability of fermentative production of ethanol and acetate tolerance will be investigated through careful fermentation studies. The potential cross-tolerance to other inhibitors, commonly present in pretreated biomass will be evaluated. A preliminary study on the mechanism of acetate tolerance at the cell membrane level will be conducted. The strain developed through this research will be useful in bioethanol production from biomass. The insights into tolerance mechanisms gained through this study will allow a more rational approach to further engineer a better producing strain.

published_or_final_version / Medicine / Master / Master of Philosophy

No description available.

The purpose of this study was to determine the endogenous levels of indole-3-acetic acid throughout the life cycle of Chlorella pyrenoidosa, and to show a correlation between onset of cell division and IAA levels.