MixAlco Process

Abstract:
In the MixAlco process waste biomass is synthesized into mixed alcohols in an innovative and sustainable way. Biomass is anaerobically fermented to carboxylic acids by using a mixture of acid-forming microorganisms. In a first step products of the fermentation mixture and the reactions of the Mixalco process are examined in detail and structured systematically. This way a basic reaction network model is built up on profound literature knowledge. The model is implemented in GAMS using mixed integer programming. The flux distribution, the accumulation of target molecules, as well as the consumption of feed molecules, such as biomass and hydrogen, and the recovery of molecules, such as calcium carbonate, are evaluated and balanced by reaction network flux analysis (RNFA). Thus the potential of the MixAlco process can be identified. In the Mixalco process secondary alcohols and primary alcohols are carried out in two different routes which are both covered in this model. The network includes 134 product molecules. All those are possible platform molecules for further synthesis to chemical products and fuel blends. A case study on sugarcane bagasse (80wt-%) and chicken manure (20wt-%) as feedstock is elaborated based on researches of Thanakoses et al., [2003] to illustrate the methodology of RNFA.

Keywords:
MixAlco Process, biofuel, Reaction Network Flux Analysis