Romariz B.

Mauhay
ChE-3301
FERMENTATION INDUSTRIES
Fermentation
is the chemical transformation of organic substances into simpler compounds by the
action of enzymes, complex organic catalysts, which are produced by microorganisms
such as molds, yeasts, or bacteria.
The word ferment is derived from the Latin verb fervere, which means to boil
Fermentation has been used by humans for the production of food and beverages since
the Neolithic age. Fermentation is employed for preservation in a process that
produces lactic acid as found in such sour foods as pickled
cucumbers, kimchi and yogurt as well as for producing alcoholic beverages such as wine
and beer. Fermentation can even occur within the stomachs of animals, such as
humans. Auto-brewery syndrome is a rare medical condition where the stomach
contains brewers yeast that break down starches into ethanol.
In fermentation, the most common substrate is sugar.

Two Types of Fermentation

1. Ethanol Fermentation ( Alcoholic Fermentation )
- is done by yeast and some kinds of bacteria. These microorganisms convert sugars in
ethyl alcohol and carbon dioxide.
- begins after glucose enters the cell. The glucose is broken down into pyruvic acid. This
pyruvic acid is then converted to CO2, ethanol, and energy for the cell. Humans have
long taken advantage of this process in making bread, beer, and wine. In these three
product the same microorganism is used: the common yeast or Saccharomyces
Cerevisae.
Pyruvic Acid- (CH3COCOOH) is an organic acid, a ketone , as well as the simplest of
the alpha-keto acids
- supplies energy to living cells through the citric acid cycle when oxygen is present
(aerobic respiration), and alternatively ferments to produce lactic acid when oxygen is
lacking (fermentation)

2. Lactic Acid Fermentation

- is caused by some fungi and bacteria. The most important lactic acid producing
bacteria is Lactobacillus.
- is used throughout the world to produce speciality foods:
Western world: yogurt, sourdough breads, cucumber pickles and olives
Middle East: pickled vegetables
Korea: kimchi (fermented mixture of Chinese cabbage, radishes, red pepper, garlic and
ginger)

 Russia: kefir
Egypt: laban rayab and laban zeer (fermented milks), kishk (fermented cereal and milk
mixture)
Nigeria: gari (fermented cassava)
South Africa : magou (fermented maize porridge)
Thailand : nham (fermented fresh pork)
Philippines : balao balao (fermented rice and shrimp mixture)
Louis Pasteur- showed that fermentation is directly caused by the life process of minute
varieties of yeast.
The production of lactic acid in 1880 was the beginning to produce a useful product
other than alcohol.
Chaim Weizmann- developed a fermentation process to convert corn to acetone and nbutanol.
Acetone- was necessary for the manufacture of cordite for use in ammunition.
The most favorable temperature for fermentation is 5-40 degree Celcius
Corn is considered as the most promising raw materials for fermentation to alcohol,
especially gasohol
Glucose isomerase is used to produce high fructose syrup from corn.

Hydrogen gas production in fermentation

Hydrogen gas is produced in many types of fermentation (mixed acid
fermentation, butyricacid fermentation, caproate fermentation, butanol fermentation, glyo
xylate fermentation)
As an example of mixed acid fermentation, bacteria such as Clostridium
pasteurianum ferment glucose producing butyrate, acetate, carbon dioxide and
hydrogen gas: The reaction leading to acetate is:
C6H12O6 + 4 H2O 2 CH3COO- + 2 HCO3- + 4 H+ + 4 H2Glucose could theoretically be
converted into just CO2 and H2, but the global reaction releases little energy.

Methane gas production in fermentation

Acetic acid can also undergo a dismutation reaction to produce methane and carbon
dioxide:
CH3COO + H+ CH4 + CO2

disproportionation reaction is catalysed by methanogen archaea in their fermentative

metabolism. One electron is transferred from the carbonyl function (e donor) of
the carboxylic group to the methyl group (e acceptor) of acetic acid to respectively
produce CO2 and methane gas.

Yeast
- is a living microscopic organism which converts sugar or starch into alcohol and carbon
dioxide.
Examples
A. Saccharomyces cerevisiae

B. Cryptococcus albidus

Bacteria
- are smaller , mostly less than .007 mm in the longer dimension, and more diverse in
shape. Many of them, bacilli, are rod-shaped.
-multiplied by binary fission
Fermentation bacteria are anaerobic, but use organic molecules as their final electron
acceptor to produce fermentation end-products.
Streptococcus, Lactobacillus, and Bacillus, for example, produce lactic acid,
while Escherichia and Salmonella produce ethanol, lactic acid, succinic acid, acetic
acid, CO2, and H2.
Fermenting bacteria have characteristic sugar fermentation patterns, i.e., they can
metabolize some sugars but not others. For example, Neisseria meningitidis ferments
glucose and maltose, but not sucrose and lactose, while Neisseria gonorrhoea ferments
glucose, but not maltose, sucrose or lactose. Such fermentation patterns can be used
to identify and classify bacteria.

Molds- are multicellular filaments and increase by vegitative growth

Uses and Economics
Alcohol, acetone, butyl alcohol and acetic acid produced by fermentation have largely
been superseded by their synthetic counterpart. Almost all the major antibiotics are
obtained by fermentation. Dextran is another fermentation product,
Glucose isomerase is used to produce high fructose syrup from corn.
Proteases produced from mold enzymes are used to coagulate protein in milk to
produce cheese.
Xanthan gum is a polysaccharide secreted by the bacterium Xanthomonas campestris.
used as a food additive and rheologymodifier, commonly used as a food thickening agent
(in salad dressings, for example) and a stabilizer.

Some Important Products of Fermentation

Industrial Alcoholis distilled ethyl alcohol, normally of high proof, produced and sold for other than
beverage purposes.
Pure ethyl alcohol is used in laboratories and in the industry for sanitizing,
cleaning and solvent properties.
Uses and Economics
Alcohol is second only to water in solvent value and is employed in nearly all industries.
In addition, it is the raw material for making hundreds of chemicals such as
acetaldehyde, ethyl acetate, acetic acid, ethylene dibromide, glycols, ethyl chloride, and
all ethyl esters.
Many medicines,food products, flavorings and cosmetics could not be produced without
it. It is used to process vaccines, compound tonics, syrups, tinctures, liniments and
antiseptics as well as being vital in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals such as
chloroform, atabrine and barbiturates. It is used in the production of adhesives,
cosmetics, detergents, explosives, inks, hand cream, plastics and textiles. There are
literally hundreds of products and uses for this chemical.

Energy Requirements, Unit Operations, Chemical Conversions

Making of Industrial Alcohol

Absolute Alcohol
practically 100% ethyl alcohol but since the absence of water is more notable than that
of other impurities, the term anhydrous is preferred by some.
Anhydrous alcohol was formerly made by absorbing 4 to 5% water present in 95 to 96 %
industrial alcohol using quicklime, with subsequent distillation.
The oldest method is distillation of the 95% azeotrope using a third which forms a minimum
constant boiling mixture at a lower temperature than the 95% alcohol or the water.
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