Bioengineering Resources Inc develops and commercializes technologies for the bioconversion of waste materials to valuable products. Bioengineering Resources, Inc. (BRI) has developed syngas fermentation technology that can be used to produce ethanol from cellulosic wastes with high yields and rates. The process of combined gasification/fermentation has been under development by BRI for several years. The feasibility of the technology has been demonstrated, and plans are under way to pilot the technology as a first step toward commercialization. The conversion of a waste stream, the disposal of which is costly, into a valuable fuel adds both environmental and economic incentives. The yields can be high because all of the raw material, except the ash and metal, is converted to ethanol. BRI has developed bioreactor systems for fermentation that results in retention times of only a few minutes at atmospheric pressure and less than a minute at elevated pressure. These retention times result in very economical equipment costs. The biocatalyst is automatically regenerated by slow growth of the bacteria in the reactor. Bioengineering Resources Inc. (BRI) developed a gasification/fermentation process for producing CMA from domestic wastes, such as municipal refuse and sewage sludge. Figure 1 shows the process of gasifying wastes to produce syngas -- carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen. The syngas mixture, in liquid medium, is processed (fermented) using a suitable proprietary bacterium. Acetic acid is produced, extracted, and reacted with dolomitic lime to produce CMA. The CMA product is then dried and pelletized. Details regarding CMA's compositional analysis and properties (ice melting, penetration, and eutectics) are given in BRI's final report, but it is sufficient to say that the properties that were measured compared favorably with commercially available CMA (Cryotech [CMA.sup.TM]).
