Graduation date: 1981

Thesis (M.S.)--Mississippi State University. Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering. / Title from title screen. Includes bibliographical references.

The bacterium Clostridium acetobutylicum produces acetone and n [subscript] - butanol from molasses in an industrial fermentation system. Although the bacterium has been cultured in liquid media it does not grow well on agar plates and requires high concentrations of hydrogen. Pretreatment of agar plates with bovine catalase improves growth on agar media. The bacteria produce an area of clearing (halo) on Potato agar plates due to butyric acid (the precursor of n [subscript]-butanol) and ß -amylase production. This characteristic will be used as a plate screening assay for the selection of high solvent producing mutants. A laboratory scale fermentation system was developed and detailed studies including pH, turbidity and cell morphology changes, and the details of solvent production were undertaken. The fermentation was optimized for mutant selection. The production of normal solvent yields by isolated clones is required for the mutant selection programme. Studies revealed that sporulation of the clones increased their solvent yield although solvent yields were still lower than normal. Efficient sporulation is therefore a prerequisite for clone fermentation. The origin of the phage infection during the factory outbreak was determined and resistant clones obtained. The presence of a bacteriocin-like toxin causing decreases in turbidity was identified during the final fermentation stage. The strain sensitivity, optimum conditions for stability as well as the kinetics of inactivation and lethality have been investigated. Preliminary characterization and purification studies indicate the proteinaceous nature of the toxin. / KMBT_363

No description available.

Thesis (MSc (Paraclinical Sciences)--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references.

An investigation was done into the recovery of invert sugar from sugar cane molasses. A pilot plant was designed and constructed to evaluate the clarification and separation of molasses to produce invert sugar syrup. The aim of the pilot plant was to prove the process and deliver data so as to facilitate the design and prove the financial viability of a commercial plant. The pilot plant had to process 300 kg/day of molasses. The clarification of molasses by centrifugal separation, a known desludging process, did not produce a product of acceptable quality which could be used in a chromatographic separator. The results were disappointing. The product obtained was also not suitable for dead end pressure filtration. The turbidity remaining after the centrifugal separation also did not respond to a second flocculation process. Conventional settling clarification was investigated. Seven factors that could influence the consolidation and settling of suspended solids in molasses were identified, namely: the age of the diluted molasses, the temperature of the flocculated mixture, the variations across various batches of flocculant, the effect of reaction time of the phosphoric acid, the optimum flocculant dosing concentration, the optimum concentration of the molasses solution and the effect of increasing the acid dosage. The optimum conditions to clarify molasses through settling were found to be: fresh molasses, at 28 Brix and 60°C, allowing 10 min intervals between acidification with 3,75 g (as 100%) phosphoric acid/ kg dry material (assumed equal to Brix) and neutralisation with 5 g (as 100%) caustic/kg dry material (assumed equal to Brix), flocculation with any batch of flocculant 6195, dosed as a 1000 ppm solution. Commercial equipment was evaluated. The pilot plant E-cat clarifier was operated at 300 l/h and a thick sludge formed. The overflow was clear and it could be filtered. The molasses obtained was suitable for chromatographic separation. The recovery of sugars from molasses sludge has economic merit. From the evaluation of centrifugal separation and gravity separation it is clear that gravity separation again is the best method. The sweet-water obtained is consistent within the clarity requirement of 10 NTU/Brix and can be used to dilute raw molasses in the upstream processing step. The clarification process that was developed is patented. [Bekker, Stolz et.al. (2001)] A sugar recovery of 93.9 mass % at a purity of 99.7 mass % from molasses, was achieved using a simulated moving bed, ion exclusion, pilot plant. The operating conditions for this performance were: feed flow at 14 l/h and at a temperature above 60 °C; water flow at 63 l/h and at a temperature above 65 °C; extract flow at 21 l/h; raffinate flow at 56 l/h; loop flow at 78 l/h and step time at 1326 seconds. This relates to the following bed volumes of the various separation zones: Bed Volume Zone 1 = 0.694; Bed Volume Zone 2 = 0.591; Bed Volume Zone 3 = 0.661; Bed Volume Zone 4 = 0.383. There is a trade-off between purity and recovery and a reduction in water usage. A preliminary environmental impact assessment and conceptual mass balance were done. The proposed plant integrates well into the existing Komati Mill of TSB and does not pose any significant environmental threat. The plant requires certain services from the mill. The mass balance investigated the water and steam consumption of the plant. Process integration was done so as to obtain the optimum utility consumption. The utility consumption of the plant does not exceed the capacity available at the mill. A small boiler is however required to produce steam during the annual mill maintenance period. Various techniques were used in a cost estimation for the invert sugar plant. The internal rate of return (IRR) is 42% for a fixed capital investment of R94,270,000.00. The net return rate (NRR) for the project is 4%/year, the net present value (NPV) - discounted at a 30% cost-of-capital is R41,782,000.00. The net payout time (NPT) is 5.207 years. The project fulfils the financial requirements set by TSB. It is now possible and viable to desugarize cane molasses.

No description available.

No description available.

Orientadora: Cecilia Laluce / Banca: Kelly Johana Dussan Medina / Banca: Edwil Aparecida de Lucca Gattas / Resumo: A levedura mais utilizada nos processos fermentativos é a Saccharomyces cerevisiae, por apresentar uma grande eficiência de conversão dos açúcares em etanol, permitindo assim a produção de etanol combustível em larga escala, porem essas leveduras não predominam durante toda a safra, sendo substituídas por leveduras não - Saccharomyces. Durante o processo fermentativo fatores como estresse alcoólico, térmico, ácido, nutricional e osmótico causam prejuízo ao processo. Na busca por um microrganismo capaz de fermentar em condições de estresse a levedura híbrida, S. cerevisiae IQAr/45-1 (PI 0806141-6) construída no Laboratório de Unidades das Leveduras Industriais do Instituto de Química - UNESP, apresenta características de rápida fermentação e resistência ao estresse térmico. Sendo assim o objetivo principal do presente trabalho é testar a capacidade de fermentar da levedura IQAr/45-1 quando inoculada junto ao creme de levedura industrial, que contem leveduras Saccharomyces e não - Saccharomyces avaliando sua capacidade de melhorar a fermentação. Fermentações de 5 ciclos sucessivos com reuso de células foram conduzidas utilizando um fluxo de alimentação 0,39 mL/min, por 3 horas com melaço 20 % (ART) e foram realizadas a 35 °C e 40 °C, durante 10 horas, utilizando como inóculo creme de levedura industrial com adição da levedura IQAr/45-1 na proporção de 3:1. Durante a fermentação foi analisado a concentração celular, viabilidade e ART. Após as análises observou-se quando adiciona... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Mestre

by Kwok-wai Lo. / Thesis (M.Ph.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1987. / Bibliography: leaves 183-194.