Elimination of ethanol inhibition by perstraction

Perstraction (membrane‐aided solvent extraction) was utilized for elimination of ethanol inhibition in continuous ethanol fermentation using high sugar concentrate. Hollow fibers for an artificial kidney were used as a permeable membrane, and their capacity to extract ethanol was examined by using several organic solvents. When tri‐n‐butylphosphate was used as an extractant, a 500 g/L feed glucose medium was successfully fermented by immobilized yeast cells. During this continuous fermentation a high ehtanol productivity of 48 g/h‐L‐gel was held, and the solvent requirement per consumed glucose was 6 L‐solvent/kg‐glucose.