Two cycle process for producing fuel-grade ethanol from dilute aqueous mixtures

Patent · Tue Sep 08 04:00:00 EDT 1987

OSTI ID:5839603

Tedder, D W

This patent describes a process of producing alcohol comprising feeding a dilute aqueous mixture containing the alcohol to a first solvent extraction column, feeding an organic solvent for the alcohol to the first extraction column for admixing with the aqueous mixture containing the alcohol, to dissolve the alcohol therefrom for forming an alcohol-organic solvent extract phase containing residual amounts of water, and a raffinate containing water and residual amounts of entrained solvent, alcohol and solids. The alcohol-organic solvent phase is separated from the raffinate. The vacuum strip the water and alcohol from the extract phase, condense the vacuum stripped water and alcohol and pass the alcohol-water to a second solvent extraction column serving as a drying column to obtain a second alcohol-organic solvent extract phase being relatively water free. Separate the entrained solvent from the raffinate and return the entrained solvent to the first solvent extraction column. Pass the second alcohol-solvent extract phase from the second solvent extraction column to a vacuum stripper to separate the alcohol from the organic solvent and return the organic solvent to the second solvent extraction column.

• Assignee: Georgia Tech Research Corp., Atlanta, GA
• Patent Number(s): US 4692432
• OSTI ID: 5839603
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

090221* -- Alcohol Fuels-- Chemical Synthesis-- (1976-1989)
10 SYNTHETIC FUELS
ALCOHOLS
ALKANES
AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
CHEMICAL PREPARATION
DILUTION
DISPERSIONS
DISSOLUTION
ETHANE
ETHANOL
EXTRACTION
HYDROCARBONS
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
MIXING
MIXTURES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
SEPARATION EQUIPMENT
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SOLIDS
SOLUBILITY
SOLUTIONS
SOLVENT EXTRACTION
SYNTHESIS
VACUUM SYSTEMS