Effect of Acid/Ethanol Ratio on Medium Chain Carboxylate Production with Different VFAs as the Electron Acceptor: Insight into Carbon Balance and Microbial Community

Shuai Bao, Qingyan Wang, Panyue Zhang, Qi Zhang, Yan Wu, Fan Li, Xue Tao, Siqi Wang, Mohammad Nabi and Yazhou Zhou
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Shuai Bao: College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
Qingyan Wang: College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
Panyue Zhang: College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
Qi Zhang: College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
Yan Wu: School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Chongqing Three Gorges University, Chongqing 404632, China
Fan Li: College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
Xue Tao: College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
Siqi Wang: College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
Mohammad Nabi: College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
Yazhou Zhou: College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China

Energies, 2019, vol. 12, issue 19, 1-17

Abstract: Medium chain carboxylates (MCCs) are important precursors for biodiesel production. Using chain elongation to produce MCCs is an emerging bioenergy technology. In this study, batch tests were conducted to investigate fermentative MCC production through chain elongation from acetate, propionate, n -butyrate, and ethanol. The effect of the acid/ethanol ratio on MCC production by mixed culture was investigated. Better MCC production, especially n -caproate production, was achieved at optimal acid/ethanol ratios of 1:4, 1:3, and 1:2 with acetate, propionate, and n -butyrate as the electron acceptor, respectively. The n -caproate concentration was high, up to 41.54 mmol/L, and the highest n -caproate production efficiency was 57.96% with the n -butyrate/ethanol ratio of 1:2. The higher concentration of ethanol might stimulate the growth of chain elongation bacteria to promote chain elongation. The highest MCC production efficiency with different electron acceptors corresponded to less carbon loss and a higher chain elongation degree. In addition, with the optimal acid/ethanol ratio, the substrate was maximally utilized for chain elongation. The microbial community analysis confirmed the carbon balance analysis with the maximum relative abundance of 52.66–60.55% of the n -caproate producer Clostridium_sensu_stricto_12 enriched by the optimal acid/ethanol ratios with different volatile fatty acids (VFAs) as electron acceptors.

Keywords: chain elongation; acid/ethanol ratio; electron acceptor; MCC production; carbon balance; Microbial community (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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