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Title: Fuel grade ethanol by solvent extraction: Final subcontract report

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6199858· OSTI ID:6199858

This report summarizes final results for ethanol recovery by solvent extraction and extractive distillation. At conclusion this work can be summarized as ethanol dehydration and recovery dilute fermentates is feasible using liquid/liquid extraction and extractive distillation. Compared to distillation, the economics are more attractive for less than 5 wt % ethanol. However, an economic bias in favor of SEED appears to exist even for 10 wt % feeds. It is of particular interest to consider the group extraction of ethanol and acetic acid followed by conversion to a mixture of ethanol and ethyl acetate. The latter species is a more valuable commodity and group extraction of inhibitory species is one feature of liquid/liquid extraction that is not easily accomodated using distillation. Upflow immobilized reactors offer the possibility of achieving high substrate conversion while also maintaining low metabolite concentrations. However, many questions remain to be answered with such a concept. 135 refs., 42 figs., 61 tabs.

Research Organization:
Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA (United States); Solar Energy Research Inst. (SERI), Golden, CO (United States)
DOE Contract Number:
AC02-83CH10093
OSTI ID:
6199858
Report Number(s):
SERI/STR-231-3136; ON: DE87001192
Resource Relation:
Other Information: Portions of this document are illegible in microfiche products
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English