The disclosure is directed to a method for recovering products from a fermentation broth. The disclosure relates to the use of extractive distillation and/or dehydration to recover products which have close boiling points, such as ethanol and isopropanol, from a fermentation broth. In an embodiment, the recovery of product is completed in a manner that minimizes stress on the microbial biomass, such that it remains viable, at least in part, and may be recycled and reused in the fermentation process, which may result in increased efficiency in the fermentation process. The extractive distillation vessel and/or dehydration reactor may be used downstream of a distillation vessel. To minimize stress on the microbial biomass the distillation vessel may be under vacuum. The extractive distillation vessel may be used alongside a separation vessel such that the separation vessel is capable of recycling extractive distillation agent.

The disclosure is directed to a method for recovering products from a fermentation broth. The disclosure relates to the use of extractive distillation and/or dehydration to recover products which have close boiling points, such as ethanol and isopropanol, from a fermentation broth. In an embodiment, the recovery of product is completed in a manner that minimizes stress on the microbial biomass, such that it remains viable, at least in part, and may be recycled and reused in the fermentation process, which may result in increased efficiency in the fermentation process. The extractive distillation vessel and/or dehydration reactor may be used downstream of a distillation vessel. To minimize stress on the microbial biomass the distillation vessel may be under vacuum. The extractive distillation vessel may be used alongside a separation vessel such that the separation vessel is capable of recycling extractive distillation agent.

What is provided is a carbon dioxide treatment device having high energy efficiency for recovering and reducing carbon dioxide, and a method of producing a carbon compound using the carbon dioxide treatment device. In a carbon dioxide treatment device (100) including a recovery device (1) that recovers carbon dioxide, an electrochemical reaction device (2) that electrochemically reduces carbon dioxide recovered by the recovery device (1), and a homologation reaction device (4) that increases the number of carbons by multimerizing ethylene generated when carbon dioxide is reduced in the electrochemical reaction device (2), and in an absorption unit (12) of the recovery device (1), carbon dioxide gas is absorbed into an absorption liquid (A1), an absorption liquid (A2) that has absorbed carbon dioxide is heated in a discharge unit (13), and a carbon dioxide gas (G3) is discharged, and heat generated in a multimerization reaction in a homologation reaction device (4) is used to heat the absorption liquid (A2) in the discharge unit (13).

What is provided is a carbon dioxide treatment device having high energy efficiency for recovering and reducing carbon dioxide, and a method of producing a carbon compound using the carbon dioxide treatment device. In a carbon dioxide treatment device (100) including a recovery device (1) that recovers carbon dioxide, an electrochemical reaction device (2) that electrochemically reduces carbon dioxide recovered by the recovery device (1), and a homologation reaction device (4) that increases the number of carbons by multimerizing ethylene generated when carbon dioxide is reduced in the electrochemical reaction device (2), and in an absorption unit (12) of the recovery device (1), carbon dioxide gas is absorbed into an absorption liquid (A1), an absorption liquid (A2) that has absorbed carbon dioxide is heated in a discharge unit (13), and a carbon dioxide gas (G3) is discharged, and heat generated in a multimerization reaction in a homologation reaction device (4) is used to heat the absorption liquid (A2) in the discharge unit (13).

The disclosure is directed to an apparatus and method for recovering ethanol from a fermentation broth. The fermentation broth comprises microbial biomass, ethanol, methanol, ethyl acetate, at least one thiol, and at least one compound having 3 or more carbon atoms. The method comprises separating at least microbial biomass from the fermentation broth to generate a process stream; removing, in any order, from the process stream: ethyl acetate by reacting ethyl acetate with a base compound followed by distillation; at least one thiol by adsorption or reaction to disulfide; methanol by distillation; compounds having 3 or more carbon atoms by distillation; and recovering ethanol by distillation; wherein the distillations may be conducted in a single column or two or more columns.

The disclosure is directed to an apparatus and method for recovering ethanol from a fermentation broth. The fermentation broth comprises microbial biomass, ethanol, methanol, ethyl acetate, at least one thiol, and at least one compound having 3 or more carbon atoms. The method comprises separating at least microbial biomass from the fermentation broth to generate a process stream; removing, in any order, from the process stream: ethyl acetate by reacting ethyl acetate with a base compound followed by distillation; at least one thiol by adsorption or reaction to disulfide; methanol by distillation; compounds having 3 or more carbon atoms by distillation; and recovering ethanol by distillation; wherein the distillations may be conducted in a single column or two or more columns.

A method of obtaining ketones from a fermentation process may include collecting an off-gas and a fermented broth from a fermenter, transferring the off-gas from the fermenter to a ketone recuperation module and the fermented broth to a fluid separating module, and isolating the ketones from both the off-gas and the fermented broth. The off-gas and the fermented broth may both comprise a ketone.

A method of obtaining ketones from a fermentation process may include collecting an off-gas and a fermented broth from a fermenter, transferring the off-gas from the fermenter to a ketone recuperation module and the fermented broth to a fluid separating module, and isolating the ketones from both the off-gas and the fermented broth. The off-gas and the fermented broth may both comprise a ketone.

Suggested are 1,2-alkanediols of formula (I) HOCH.sub.2CH(OH)R.sup.1 in which R.sup.1 stands for an alkyl radical having 3 to 10 carbon atoms, said diols being substantially free of lactones and/or peroxides.

Suggested are 1,2-alkanediols of formula (I) HOCH.sub.2CH(OH)R.sup.1 in which R.sup.1 stands for an alkyl radical having 3 to 10 carbon atoms, said diols being substantially free of lactones and/or peroxides.