A foodstuff can include a free acid ?-hydroxybutyrate, and a base. The ?-hydroxybutyrate, and base, are present at a less than 1:1 molar equivalence. Ketone Ester may also be incorporated as a component of the foodstuff.

Disclosed are methods to produce a high purity biogas from a lignocellulosic biomass. The methods can include inoculating a feedstock mixture comprising the lignocellulosic biomass with a mixed microbial community; contacting the feedstock mixture with effective amount of a soluble pH adjusting agent to increase a pH of the feedstock mixture to an alkaline pH; incubating the feedstock mixture anaerobically at a thermophilic temperature of at least 45 C.; collecting the high purity biogas. In other embodiments, the method comprises inoculating a feedstock mixture comprising the lignocellulosic biomass with a mixed microbial community; anaerobically digesting the feedstock mixture at a pH, temperature, and retention time effective to afford at least 30% carbohydrate conversion of the lignocellulosic biomass to produce high purity biogas having at least 85% methane by volume. The methods disclosed herein produces substantially pure biogas and high carbohydrate conversion without the addition of non-digestible solids.

Methods for production of a bioproduct with a microorganism and selective extraction of bioproducts from a fermentation broth. The methods may include mixing a carbon source, a nitrogen source, and an extractant-depleted raffinate to form a fermentation medium, and fermenting the medium with a microorganism to form a fermentation broth having at least one bioproduct. The bioproduct may be extracted from the fermentation broth with an extractant comprising an oxygenated organic compound and a hydrocarbon to form an extract and a raffinate, and the extract may be further separated from the raffinate. The bioproduct may then be separated from the extract, and the extractant may be separated from the raffinate to regenerate the ex tract-depleted raffinate.

Methods for production of a bioproduct with a microorganism and selective extraction of bioproducts from a fermentation broth. The methods may include mixing a carbon source, a nitrogen source, and an extractant-depleted raffinate to form a fermentation medium, and fermenting the medium with a microorganism to form a fermentation broth having at least one bioproduct. The bioproduct may be extracted from the fermentation broth with an extractant comprising an olefin to form an extract and a raffinate, and the extract may be further separated from the raffinate. The bioproduct may then be separated from the extract, and the extractant may be separated from the raffinate to regenerate the extract-depleted raffinate.

Methods for production of a bioproduct with a microorganism and selective extraction of bioproducts from a fermentation broth. The methods may include mixing a carbon source, a nitrogen source, and an extractant-depleted raffinate to form a fermentation medium, and fermenting the medium with a microorganism to form a fermentation broth having at least one bioproduct. The bioproduct may be extracted from the fermentation broth with an extractant comprising an olefin to form an extract and a raffinate, and the extract may be further separated from the raffinate. The bioproduct may then be separated from the extract, and the extractant may be separated from the raffinate to regenerate the extract-depleted raffinate.

Processes are disclosed for the conversion of biomass to oxygenated organic compound using a simplified syngas cleanup operation that is cost effective and protects the fermentation operation. The processes of this invention treat the crude syngas from the gasifier by non-catalytic partial oxidation. The partial oxidation reduces the hydrocarbon content of the syngas such as methane, ethylene and acetylene to provide advantageous gas feeds for anaerobic fermentations to produce oxygenated organic compounds such as ethanol, propanol and butanol. Additionally, the partial oxidation facilitates any additional cleanup of the syngas as may be required for the anaerobic fermentation. Producer gases and partial oxidation processes are also disclosed.

Processes are disclosed for the conversion of biomass to oxygenated organic compound using a simplified syngas cleanup operation that is cost effective and protects the fermentation operation. The processes of this invention treat the crude syngas from the gasifier by non-catalytic partial oxidation. The partial oxidation reduces the hydrocarbon content of the syngas such as methane, ethylene and acetylene to provide advantageous gas feeds for anaerobic fermentations to produce oxygenated organic compounds such as ethanol, propanol and butanol. Additionally, the partial oxidation facilitates any additional cleanup of the syngas as may be required for the anaerobic fermentation. Producer gases and partial oxidation processes are also disclosed.

Biomass (e.g., plant biomass, animal biomass, and municipal waste biomass) is processed to produce useful intermediates and products, such as energy, fuels, foods or materials. Systems, methods and equipment are described for upgrading process streams using electrodialysis or electrodialysis reversal.

A process for manufacturing propionate products through fermentation, including the steps of fermenting a carbon source selected from sugars and lactate in a fermentation medium by means of a propionic acid producing microorganism to provide a first fermentation broth comprising a propionate salt, recovering propionic acid producing microorganism from the first fermentation broth, subjecting the first fermentation broth from which propionic acid producing microorganism have been recovered to a water removal step to form a first propionate salt product, fermenting a carbon source comprising glycerol with the propionic acid producing microorganism recovered from the first fermentation broth in the presence of an inorganic alkaline salt to provide a second fermentation broth comprising a propionate salt, subjecting the second fermentation broth to a purification step comprising at least one precipitation step, to form a second propionate salt product. The process allows efficient manufacture of propionate salts products.

A process for manufacturing propionate products through fermentation, including the steps of fermenting a carbon source selected from sugars and lactate in a fermentation medium by means of a propionic acid producing microorganism to provide a first fermentation broth comprising a propionate salt, recovering propionic acid producing microorganism from the first fermentation broth, subjecting the first fermentation broth from which propionic acid producing microorganism have been recovered to a water removal step to form a first propionate salt product, fermenting a carbon source comprising glycerol with the propionic acid producing microorganism recovered from the first fermentation broth in the presence of an inorganic alkaline salt to provide a second fermentation broth comprising a propionate salt, subjecting the second fermentation broth to a purification step comprising at least one precipitation step, to form a second propionate salt product. The process allows efficient manufacture of propionate salts products.