Fermentation Gases The fermentation process produces a large amount of gaseous byproducts, with ov er 60% of the sugar weight

going into CO2 or H2, in a mixture that is roughly 60% CO2 a nd 40% H2 by mole. In this process, these gases are sold by the price suggested by Qureshi a nd Blaschek (2001). Possible uses of this mixture include methanol synthesis (Fujita, Ito, and Takezawa, 1993), or membrane separation of these gases into a stream of pure CO2 and H2. The CO2 can be used as an inert gas in chemical manufacturing processes, in liquid or solid for m as a refrigerant, in the industrial synthesis of urea, in oil wells to decrease oil viscosity, in carbonated beverages, or to increase the yield of plant products grown in greenhouses (Universal Indus trial Gases, Inc., 2008). Because it is present in such low concentrations in air, it is often rec overed and sold from bioprocesses, such as this one (Universal Industrial Gases, Inc., 2008). Indust rial applications of H2 include use as an alternative fuel, to create a reducing environment, to remo ve oxygen from gaseous mixtures, or in the chemical synthesis of ammonia, methanol, hydrogen pe roxide, polymers, and pharmaceuticals (Universal Industrial Gases, Inc., 2007).