Anaerobic Fermentation of CO to Ethyl Acetate
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for producing ethyl acetate are either costly or environmentally impactful due to the use of fossil fuels and the release of carbon monoxide (CO) emissions, which also require emissions taxes and can be inefficient.
Innovation Solution
Anaerobic microbial fermentation of CO to produce ethanol and acetic acid, followed by an esterification reaction to form ethyl acetate, utilizing a continuous process that recycles waste streams and optimizes CO and H2 ratios for enhanced efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If Fischer esterification reaction is used to produce ethyl acetate, then production cost is reduced, but environmental impact increases due to CO emissions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful CO emissions from the Fischer esterification process into a useful resource by using CO as a substrate for anaerobic microbial fermentation to produce ethanol and acetic acid, which are then converted to ethyl acetate. This transforms the harmful emission into a valuable feedstock, simultaneously reducing environmental impact and maintaining production efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the fundamental reaction parameters from chemical catalysis at high temperature to biological fermentation at lower temperatures. By using microorganisms to convert CO to fermentation products, the process operates under milder conditions with different selectivity, avoiding the harmful CO emissions inherent in traditional Fischer esterification while producing the same ethyl acetate product.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If catalytic dehydrogenation of ethanol is used to produce ethyl acetate, then environmental impact is reduced, but production cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a continuous fermentation process where CO is continuously converted to ethanol and acetic acid by microorganisms, which are then continuously fed to the esterification reaction. This continuous production mode eliminates the need for intermittent batch processing and high-temperature catalytic dehydrogenation, reducing both environmental impact and production costs through process optimization.
3Device complexity
If CO is released into the atmosphere, then production process is simplified, but environmental damage and emissions taxes increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of simply releasing CO into the atmosphere, the patent captures and utilizes CO as a carbon source for microbial fermentation. The CO that would have been a harmful emission is converted into valuable fermentation products (ethanol and acetic acid) that feed into ethyl acetate production, turning an environmental liability into a process asset.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces microorganisms as an intermediary between CO and the final product. These microorganisms mediate the conversion of CO to fermentation products, providing a biological pathway that avoids direct CO emission while maintaining process efficiency. The microbial system acts as a bridge that transforms the harmful gas into useful chemical intermediates.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method effectively converts CO into ethyl acetate, reducing environmental impact and production costs by utilizing waste CO emissions and optimizing fermentation conditions for continuous production.
Implementation Method 1
anaerobically fermenting a substrate comprising CO to produce one or more fermentation products
Implementation Method 2
reacting the first and second fermentation products to produce a reaction broth comprising a third product... the third product is an ester
Data Source
AI summary
Methods for producing an ester from a gas comprising carbon monoxide. More specifically the invention provides for methods for producing one or more products by the anaerobic fermentation of a gaseous substrate comprising CO and the subsequent conversion of the one or more products to an ester in a down-stream reaction. The invention further provides methods for improving the efficiency of the production of esters from gaseous substrates.