Date of Award

1-1-2000

Thesis Type

Masters

Document Type

Thesis

Divisions

Institute for Advanced Studies

Institution

Universiti Malaya

Abstract

2,3-Butanediol is an important chemical, which is used in the manufacture of products such as synthetic rubber, printing inks, perfumes, fumigants, moistening and softening agents, explosives and plasticizers. It has been known as a bacterial fermentation product since early part of the 20th century. Klebsiella oxytoca Is an organism, which can convert a variety of sugars to 2,3-butanediol. Available literature shows that principal monosaccharides of cellulosic substances as well as major hemicellulosic compounds have been used as carbon source. However, there is very little information on the application of waste material as carbon source for fermentation of butanediol. In this work, blackstrap molasses, which is the residual liquor after crystallization of brown sugar from sugar cane juice, has been used as the carbon source in fermentation of 2,3-butanediol. Blackstrap molasses was procured from a local sugar refinery. It is readily available in Malaysia, and a high value added industrial commodity like butanediol would be a more attractive alternative to fermentation of ethanol from blackstrap molasses. Shake flask studies were conducted to examine the viability of fermenting butanediol from blackstrap molasses. Further studies were conducted in a 5-l fermenter to perform the experiment under controlled pH, temperature, mixing and aeration. Significant improvement in product yield was obtained with fed batch operation. The yield in the present case was 0.44 g diol per g of sugar as against the maximum value of 0.42 g diol per g of sugar reported in literature for fermentation of butanediol from blackstrap molasses.

Initial

snms

Additional Information

Dissertation (M.A) -- Institute for Advanced Studies, Universiti Malaya, 2001

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