Clostridium acetobutylicum

Clostridium acetobutylicum (C. acetobutylicum) is a commercially valuable bacterium, included in the genus Clostridium. It is called the "Weizmann Organism", after Chaim Weizmann (or Charles in the USA), who in 1916 helped discover how C. acetobutylicum culture could be used to produce acetone from starch for industrial purposes like gunpowder and TNT. This process was an industry standard until more efficient processes were developed. C. acetobutylicum also produces acetic acid, butyric acid, and hydrogen.

Related Topics:
Bacterium - Clostridium - Chaim Weizmann - 1916 - Acetone - Starch - Gunpowder - TNT - Acetic acid - Butyric acid - Hydrogen

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Fermentation using C. acetobutylicum has recently regained popularity for use in fuel production. This is because butanol is another possible product of this ferment.

Related Topics:
Ferment - Fuel - Butanol

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Unlike yeast, which can only digest sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide, C. acetobutylicum can digest lignin, starch, sugar, and other biomass directly into butanol, ether, and glycerin. Apart from the need for temperature control, this is a relatively simple process. The products are formed in layers that are easy to separate.

Related Topics:
Yeast - Sugar - Alcohol - Carbon dioxide - Lignin - Starch - Biomass - Ether - Glycerin - Temperature - Product

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Butanol has its advantages over other biofuels that are commonly tried.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

• It has relatively the same fuel value as gasoline, so power is unaffected and the engine will run without major overhaul.
• It does not readily adsorb moisture (it is not hygroscopic), so is less affected by changes in the weather, unlike ethanol and biodiesel.
• It is not prone to affect the materials in common engines either.