A METHOD FOR THE PRODUCTION OF A VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUND,PREFERABLY ETHANOL,BY CONTINUOUS FERMENTATION

摘要

In a method for the production of a volatile organic compound, such as ethanol, by continuous fermentation by yeast of a carbohydrate- containing substrate in a fermenter, fermentation liquor from the fermenter (F) (Fig. 1) is centrifugally separated (C) into a yeast concentrate flow (5) and a yeast-free flow (2), the yeast concentrate flow is recycled to the fermenter and the yeast-free flow is separated (RU) into a volatile organic compound- rich flow (9) and a residual flow, at least part of which is recycled (3) to the fermenter. The separation may be accomplished by distilling off the volatile organic compound or by extracting it with a solvent e.g. octanol in the case of ethanol. IMAGE