Continuous Production of Butanol by Bacteria of Genus Clostridium

Performance of continuous 1-butanol production process by Clostridium bacteria is complicated by alternation of acidogenic and solventogenic phases during fermentation what correlates with culture growth and sporulation, respectively. However, the strain Clostridium pasteurianum NRRL B598 showed diverse pattern of solvents production when butanol production started during exponential growth phase in batch cultivation. If cultivated under glucose limited conditions with dilution rate 0.03 hl, constant product concentration was almost achieved. By contrast, glucose non-limited continuous experiment operated with dilution rate 0.07 h-1 lead to mutually adverse oscillations of product and glucose concentrations. Regarding the process economy, glucose limited continuous cultivation seems to be superior due to utilization of total supplied glucose amount, advantageous butanol/acetone ratio and higher butanol yield.