Production of n-butanol by fermentation of wood hydrolysate

The production of n-butanol by fermentation of hydrolysates of Pinus radiata , using Clostridium acetobutylicum , has been investigated. Attempts to ferment the crude hydrolysate were unsuccessful. Pretreatment of the hydrolysate by steam stripping followed by addition of activated carbon led to successful fermentation, but the treatment procedure caused unacceptable sugar losses. An alternative pretreatment procedure using anion and cation exchange resins caused no such losses, and gave a butanol concentration after fermentation of 5.7 g/l, representing a yield of 17% based on sugar utilised.