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Experimental assessment of the integration of in situ removal of ethanol by pervaporation with a simultaneous saccharification–fermentation process
Author(s) -
OrozcoGonzález Natalia,
Bustamante Felipe,
AcostaCárdenas Alejandro
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
journal of chemical technology and biotechnology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.64
H-Index - 117
eISSN - 1097-4660
pISSN - 0268-2575
DOI - 10.1002/jctb.4926
Subject(s) - pervaporation , permeance , permeation , ethanol , chemistry , membrane , fermentation , biofuel , ethanol fuel , chromatography , membrane technology , chemical engineering , materials science , pulp and paper industry , waste management , organic chemistry , biochemistry , engineering
BACKGROUND The effect of process integration in bioethanol productivity was experimentally evaluated by coupling an ethanol‐selective pervaporation module to a simultaneous saccharification–fermentation process ( SSF ). Ethanol concentration in the permeate stream and ethanol productivity were evaluated. Polydimethylsiloxane ( PDMS ) and silicalite, pure and composite multilayer membranes, supported on porous stainless steel disks, were synthesized and used. Selectivity tests were conducted using ethanol–water mixtures and fermentation broths (5–12 wt% ethanol). RESULTS Multilayer composite membranes showed the best performance among the membranes studied; separation factor, permeance and ethanol concentration in the permeate stream were 31.4, 5.39 kg m −2 h −1 bar −1 (959 gas permeation units (gpu)) and 81.77 wt%, and 26.5, 5.02 kg m −2 h −1 bar −1 (894 gpu) and 77.41 wt%, with model solutions (12.76 wt% ethanol) and actual fermentation broths (11.69 wt% ethanol), respectively. The coupled pervaporator– SSF system, using silicalite‐ PDMS multilayer composite membranes, achieved ethanol concentrations in the permeate up to 71.53 wt% and an increase of 3% in productivity with respect to the SSF process without in situ removal of ethanol; permeance and separation factor in the coupled system were 3.25 kg m −2 h −1 bar −1 (578.4 gpu) and 24.8, respectively. CONCLUSIONS The integrated process improves bioreactor productivity and could reduce the energy penalty in the distillation process conventionally used in bioethanol production. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry