Table 94. Fermented Wash

Fraction (2) is not further treated, but appears to consist largely of ethyl alcohol, n-butyl alcohol and water. A sample of this fractionated in the laboratory gave the following fractions: -

Table 94 gives a diagrammatic representation of these distillations.

The organism Bacillus aceloethylicum is capable of converting carbohydrates into a mixture of ethyl alcohol, acetone, and formic acid. The yield of acetone is 8-9 per cent and of alcohol 14 - 20 per cent by weight of the carbohydrate fermented.1 The optimum temperature for growth and for the fermentation is 43° C. The process takes place in presence of calcium carbonate. The process has been investigated from the commercial aspect in the plant of the Commercial Solvents Corporation at Terre Haute, Indiana.2

Acetone has also been prepared on an industrial scale from seaweed and kelp.3

1 Northrop, Ashe, and Senior, J. Biol. Chem., 1919, 39, 1.

2 Cf. Arzberger, Peterson, and Fred, J. Biol. Chem., 44, 465.

3 J. Ind. and Eng. Chem., 1918, 10, 858, and J. Soc. Chem. Ind., 1916, 36, 565.