Recent developments and challenges of acetone-butanol-ethanol fermentation

Abstract

The major concern for sustainable industrial development is the transition from fossil-based fuels to renewable resources for fuel, chemicals and materials production. The exploiting usage of fossil fuels is not only environmentally unsafe but also prone to price inflation and concerns related to ozone layer depletion and global warming. Therefore, lignocellulosic materials are seen as potential renewable resources to supply the future green energy and materials. Butanol is considered a superior biofuel due to greater energy density, better fuel properties, engine compatibility and less hygroscopic nature than ethanol. Also, it has created popularity among biofuels in higher blending ratios with gasoline. However, the major limitation of butanol production is the cost of acetone-butanolethanol (ABE) fermentation process that subsequently affects the yield and productivity in bioprocessing. For conversion of renewable resources into valuable base chemicals and liquid fuels, ABE fermentation has been receiving renewed interest in utilizing lignocellulosic biomass that is abundant and incompetent with food sources. In this chapter, some recent developments in ABE process are discussed along with certain major challenges and future prospects.