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Updated: Jan 23, 2026

Author Spotlight: Optimizing Hollow-Fiber Membranes for Continuous Liquid-Liquid Extraction of Medium-Chain Fatty Acids
Published on: August 9, 2024
Continuous two stage acetone-butanol-ethanol fermentation with integrated solvent removal using Clostridium
Sandip B Bankar1, Shrikant A Survase, Rekha S Singhal
1Aalto University, School of Chemical Technology, Department of Biotechnology and Chemical Technology, POB 16100, 00076 Aalto, Finland.
Abstract:
The objective of this study was to optimize continuous acetone-butanol-ethanol (ABE) fermentation using a two stage chemostat system integrated with liquid-liquid extraction of solvents produced in the first stage. This minimized end product inhibition by butanol and subsequently enhanced glucose utilization and solvent production in continuous cultures of Clostridium acetobutylicum B 5313. During continuous two-stage ABE fermentation, sugarcane bagasse was used as the cell holding material for the both stages and liquid-liquid extraction was performed using an oleyl alcohol and decanol mixture. An overall solvent production of 25.32g/L (acetone 5.93g/L, butanol 16.90g/L and ethanol 2.48g/L) was observed as compared to 15.98g/L in the single stage chemostat with highest solvent productivity and solvent yield of 2.5g/Lh and of 0.35g/g, respectively. Maximum glucose utilization (83.21%) at a dilution rate of 0.051/h was observed as compared to 54.38% in the single stage chemostat.
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