Modelling the simultaneous production and separation of acetic acid from CO₂ using an anion exchange membrane microbial electrosynthesis system

Abstract

BACKGROUND Microbial electrosynthesis is a carbon capture technology capable of transforming CO2 into valuable organic compounds. The aim of this article is to model the simultaneous production and separation of acetate in an anion‐exchange membrane microbial electrosynthesis cell which employs CO2 as feedstock. RESULTS The maximum amount of acetate product produced was 0.72 mmol after 19 operational days. Simultaneous production and separation of acetate began after 4 days when 0.95 mol m−3 and 0.04 mol m−3 of acetate were detected in the cathode and anode MES cell chambers, respectively. A model that fits the simultaneous production and separation of acetate in the microbial electrosynthesis cell was successfully developed and validated. CONCLUSION The microbial electrosynthesis model developed in this work can be used to predict the product concentrations of a carbon capture technology which simultaneously produces and separates acetate product. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry