The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 26, 1989
Filed:
Jul. 05, 1988
Jurgen Thiele, East Lansing, MI (US);
Joseph G Zeikus, Okemos, MI (US);
Michigan Biotechnology Institute, East Lansing, MI (US);
Abstract
An improved process for the biomethanation of an organic substrate includes treating the substrate in a first reactor to form organic acid anions, passing an aqueous preparation containing dissolved organic anions through an ion exchanger so that the organic acid anions are adsorbed and separated from the remainder of the aqueous preparation, desorbing; the organic acid anions and passing the desorbed acids to a second reactor containing methanogenic bacteria which convert the acids to methane. In a preferred embodiment, a bicarbonate solution is produced in the second reactor and it is used to desorb the organic acid anions and regenerate the anion exchanger into the bicarbonate form. A preferred apparatus first and second reactors, and a pair of anion exchangers connected by tubing to both reactors also is disclosed.