Process for the acid hydrolysis of carbohydrate polymers and the continuous fermentation of the sugars _obtained therefrom to provide ethanol

US4242455A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• National Distillers and Chemical Corporation · US

Inventors

• Werner C. Muller · Harsewinkel, DE
• Franklyn D. Miller · Cincinnati, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 25, 1979
• Grant date: Dec 30, 1980
• Expiry date: Jun 25, 1999

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10S435/942
• WIPO field: Food chemistry
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

A carbohydrate polymer such as starch and/or cellulose is converted to ethanol by a process in which an aqueous slurry of the carbohydrate polymer acid hydrolyzed to provide a sterile fermentable sugar solution is thereafter continuously converted by fermentation to dilute aqueous ethanol ("beer") in a series of agitated fermentations vessels which contain progressively more ethanol and less fermentable sugar employing at least two strains of yeast for the fermentation, one of which provides a high rate of ethanol production in a fermentation medium containing a relatively low concentration of ethanol and a relatively high concentration of fermentable sugar and the other of which provides a high rate of ethanol production in a fermentation medium containing a relatively high concentration of ethanol and a relatively low concentration of fermentable sugar.