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Title: Process of concentrating ethanol from dilute aqueous solutions thereof

Patent ·
OSTI ID:7261896

Relatively dilute aqueous solutions of ethanol are concentrated by passage through a bed of a crystalline silica polymorph, such as silicalite, to adsorb the ethanol with residual dilute feed in contact with the bed, which is displaced by passing concentrated aqueous ethanol through the bed without displacing the adsorbed ethanol. A product concentrate is then obtained by removing the adsorbed ethanol from the bed together with at least a portion of the concentrated aqueous ethanol used as the displacer liquid. This process permits ethanol to be concentrated from dilute fermentation beers, which may contain from 6 to 10% ethanol, to obtain a concentrate product at very low energy cost having an ethanol concentration in excess of 95%, such as a concentration of from 98 to 99.5%. 5 figs.

DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-82
Assignee:
Iowa State Univ. Research Foundation, Inc., Ames, IA (United States)
Patent Number(s):
US 4277635; A
Application Number:
PPN: US 6-162524
OSTI ID:
7261896
Resource Relation:
Patent File Date: 24 Jun 1980
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English