Solvent screening study and conceptual extractive distillation process to produce anhydrous ethanol from fermentation broth

Journal Article · Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1985 · Ind. Eng. Chem. Process Des. Dev.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/i200028a029· OSTI ID:5246569

Lee, F-M; Pahl, R H

This solvent screening study indicates that glycols are very selective solvents for producing anhydrous ethanol from fermentation broth by extractive distillation. The promising solvents are glycerin, ethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, and triethylene glycol. An improved extractive distillation process for producing anhydrous ethanol was conceptually developed which was based on the analysis of the experimental solvent screening data. The basic idea of this process is to add an extractive solvent only to the ethanol-rich portion of the fractionator to eliminate the ethanol-water azeotrope and to change the undesirable shape of the vapor-liquid equilibrium curve to one more favorable for distillation. With a suitable solvent, such as ethylene glycol, anhydrous ethanol could be produced from the fermentation broth in a column with only 18 theoretical trays. A low reflux ratio of 1.5 and a low solvent-to-feed ratio of 0.27 (based on fermentation broth) would be needed for the separation.

• Research Organization: Phillips Research Center, Phillips Petroleum Company, Bartlesville, Oklahoma
• OSTI ID: 5246569
• Journal Information: Ind. Eng. Chem. Process Des. Dev.; (United States), Vol. 24:1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

10 SYNTHETIC FUELS
ETHANOL
SOLVENT EXTRACTION
GLYCEROL
SOLVENT PROPERTIES
GLYCOLS
POLYETHYLENE GLYCOLS
AZEOTROPE
CHEMICAL REACTORS
DISTILLATION
EQUILIBRIUM
FERMENTATION
LIQUIDS
PRODUCTION
QUANTITY RATIO
SOLVENTS
VAPORS
WATER
ALCOHOLS
BIOCONVERSION
EXTRACTION
FLUIDS
GASES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC POLYMERS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLYMERS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
090221* - Alcohol Fuels- Chemical Synthesis- (1976-1989)