Premium
The production of ethanol by immobilized yeast cells
Author(s) -
Williams David,
Munnecke Douglas M.
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
biotechnology and bioengineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.136
H-Index - 189
eISSN - 1097-0290
pISSN - 0006-3592
DOI - 10.1002/bit.260230809
Subject(s) - yeast , ethanol , calcium alginate , ethanol fuel , fermentation , ethanol fermentation , chemistry , chromatography , sugar , bioreactor , raw material , substrate (aquarium) , biochemistry , packed bed , slurry , calcium , materials science , biology , organic chemistry , composite material , ecology
Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells were immobilized in calcium alginate beads for use in the continuous production of ethanol. Yeasts were grown in medium supplemented with ethanol to selectively screen for a culture which showed the greatest tolerance to ethanol inhibition. Yeast beads were produced from a yeast slurry containing 1.5% alginate (w/v) which was added as drops to 0.05 M CaCl 2 solution. To determine their optimum fermentation parameters, ethanol production using glucose as a substrate was monitored in batch systems at varying physiological conditions (temperature, pH, ethanol concentration), cell densities, and gel concentration. The data obtained were compared to optimum free cell ethanol fermentation parameters. The immobilized yeast cells examined in a packed‐bed reactor system operated under optimized parameters derived from batch‐immobilized yeast cell experiments. Ethanol production rates, as well as residual sugar concentration were monitored at different feedstock flow rates.