Paraffinic hydrocarbons fermentation

Historically, citric acid was isolated by crystallization from lemon juice and later was recognized as a microbial metabohte. This work led to the development of commercial fermentation technology (13). The basic raw materials for making citric acid include com starch, molasses (sugar cane, beet sugar), and normal paraffin hydrocarbons. 

Stedman, R.L. and W. Rusaniwskyj Composition studies on tobacco. VIII. Total paraffinic hydrocarbons in aged and fermented tobaccos Tob. Sci. 3 (1959) 167-171. 

The fermentation of / -paraffins in the C q to range for protein production has provided a new oudet for these hydrocarbons (see Foods, nonconventional). Because it operates in Hquid phase, the UOP Molex process can readily accomplish the separation of / -paraffins from such a wide boiling feedstock. 

Nitromethane can be used in an extractive process to separate aromatic hydrocarbons from aliphatic hydrocarbons due to the lower solubility of the aliphatic fractions in nitromethane [3]. Nitroparaffins are used to separate lactic acid from fermentation beers [4], nitrocellulose from the nitrating solution [5], and plutonium (IV) from aqueous solutions [6]. Nitropropane is used to extract rosin from pine lumber at elevated temperatures [7]. Toluene can be separated from similar boiling-point aliphatic paraffins by azeotropic distillation with nitromethane [8]. Ethylbenzene forms an azeotrope with nitromethane which allows its separation from styrene through a distillation process. 

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