You are here:
Membrane-based recovery and dehydration of alcohols from fermentation broths - of materials and modules
Citation:
VANE, L. M. Membrane-based recovery and dehydration of alcohols from fermentation broths - of materials and modules. Presented at 2011 National Science Foundation Engineering Research and Innovation Conference, Atlanta, GA, January 04, 2011.
Impact/Purpose:
To inform the public.
Description:
Distillation combined with molecular sieve dehydration is the current state of the art for fuel grade ethanol production from fermentation broths. As the liquid biofuels industry transitions to lignocellulosic feedstocks, expands the end product portfolio to include other alcohols, such as butanol, and encounters more dilute alcohol concentrations, alternative separation technologies which are more energy efficient than the conventional approach will be in demand. The membrane-based processes of pervaporation and vapor permeation are promising alternatives to distillation and adsorption. In order for these technologies to challenge the conventional approaches, issues of membrane/module lifetime and cost must be addressed. In this presentation, the nature of the separation, types of materials, forms of the materials, and conditions of operation will be discussed.