Biological conversion of alkanes to dicarboxylic acids : an investigation into process challenges and optimisation in hydrocarbon-based bioprocesses

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dc.contributor.advisorHarrison, STLen_ZA
dc.contributor.advisorClarke, K Gen_ZA
dc.contributor.advisorSmit, MSen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorWilliams, Peta Clairen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2014-08-28T09:15:55Z
dc.date.available2014-08-28T09:15:55Z
dc.date.issued2005en_ZA
dc.description.abstractThe focus of this project is bioconversion of alkanes to dicarboxylic acids. Dicarboxylic acids are versatile chemical intermediates that can be used in the manufacture of perfumes, polymers, adhesives and antibiotics. The use of a hydrocarbon in a biological process, however, introduces several process challenges related to the nature of the substrate. Many of these challenges are common to all hydrocarbon fermentations, regardless of the product formed, and include flammability, volatility and inhibition of cell growth (notably at low carbon chain lengths), insolubility (notably at high carbon chain lengths) and mass transfer limitations, with respect to both oxygen and alkane substrate. In particular, the provision of adequate oxygen transfer to the organism in hydrocarbon-based bioprocesses has been regarded as especially challenging because of the absence of oxygen in the hydrocarbon backbone. In contrast to carbohydrate-based bioprocesses in which the carbohydrate itself supplies about half of the oxygen, the metabolic requirement for oxygen in hydrocarbon-based bioprocesses has to be met entirely by the transfer of oxygen to the broth. This suggests a proportionately higher requirement for oxygen transfer under these conditions. Consequently, the oxygen transfer rate (OTR) has been mooted as a likely major process limitation, leading to a process which is transport, rather than kinetically controlled and correspondingly, a sub-optimal yield and productivity.en_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitationWilliams, P. C. (2005). <i>Biological conversion of alkanes to dicarboxylic acids : an investigation into process challenges and optimisation in hydrocarbon-based bioprocesses</i>. (Thesis). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Engineering & the Built Environment ,Department of Chemical Engineering. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/6694en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationWilliams, Peta Clair. <i>"Biological conversion of alkanes to dicarboxylic acids : an investigation into process challenges and optimisation in hydrocarbon-based bioprocesses."</i> Thesis., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Engineering & the Built Environment ,Department of Chemical Engineering, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/6694en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationWilliams, P. 2005. Biological conversion of alkanes to dicarboxylic acids : an investigation into process challenges and optimisation in hydrocarbon-based bioprocesses. University of Cape Town.en_ZA
dc.identifier.risTY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Williams, Peta Clair AB - The focus of this project is bioconversion of alkanes to dicarboxylic acids. Dicarboxylic acids are versatile chemical intermediates that can be used in the manufacture of perfumes, polymers, adhesives and antibiotics. The use of a hydrocarbon in a biological process, however, introduces several process challenges related to the nature of the substrate. Many of these challenges are common to all hydrocarbon fermentations, regardless of the product formed, and include flammability, volatility and inhibition of cell growth (notably at low carbon chain lengths), insolubility (notably at high carbon chain lengths) and mass transfer limitations, with respect to both oxygen and alkane substrate. In particular, the provision of adequate oxygen transfer to the organism in hydrocarbon-based bioprocesses has been regarded as especially challenging because of the absence of oxygen in the hydrocarbon backbone. In contrast to carbohydrate-based bioprocesses in which the carbohydrate itself supplies about half of the oxygen, the metabolic requirement for oxygen in hydrocarbon-based bioprocesses has to be met entirely by the transfer of oxygen to the broth. This suggests a proportionately higher requirement for oxygen transfer under these conditions. Consequently, the oxygen transfer rate (OTR) has been mooted as a likely major process limitation, leading to a process which is transport, rather than kinetically controlled and correspondingly, a sub-optimal yield and productivity. DA - 2005 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2005 T1 - Biological conversion of alkanes to dicarboxylic acids : an investigation into process challenges and optimisation in hydrocarbon-based bioprocesses TI - Biological conversion of alkanes to dicarboxylic acids : an investigation into process challenges and optimisation in hydrocarbon-based bioprocesses UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/6694 ER -en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/6694
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationWilliams PC. Biological conversion of alkanes to dicarboxylic acids : an investigation into process challenges and optimisation in hydrocarbon-based bioprocesses. [Thesis]. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Engineering & the Built Environment ,Department of Chemical Engineering, 2005 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/6694en_ZA
dc.language.isoeng
dc.publisher.departmentCentre for Bioprocess Engineering Researchen_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Engineering and the Built Environment
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.subject.otherBioprocess Engineeringen_ZA
dc.titleBiological conversion of alkanes to dicarboxylic acids : an investigation into process challenges and optimisation in hydrocarbon-based bioprocessesen_ZA
dc.typeThesis
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceThesisen_ZA
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